Weekend Series

On Sunday, the forecast wind came in and created many thrills and spills. Roy was quick to point out that his capsizes in the morning didn’t count – the first was before the start, and the second, during the race, was on purpose to avoid a collision. So for the afternoon was he going to make up for it? Another capsize before the start did not count (so he says), but the one (could have been more) during the race did. Ah well, practice makes perfect?!

It seems that many others were practicing as well. Neil Currie with Sam Hall crewing went swimming in the first race and in the second race they went trawling  (followed by another capsize later on). Don’t know how many others capsized, but according to Gary on one of the rescue boats, they were playing bingo with each boat that capsized – he just needed William and Lesley to go in for a full house. No such luck there then!

Andy and Bean were due to sail the Yellow Peril’s (new nickname?) F15, but the dancing, or was it the Stella, took its toll and they weren’t quite ready for the morning race. They did make an appearance in the afternoon race, but only in the baby Bates on rescue cover (or perhaps just taking some snaps of the boats)

The strong winds, apart from proving hard work in the hour long races, did have many spectacular reaches to make it all worthwhile.

Monday’s forecast was for more wind, but things didn’t look promising at 11:15 when the heavens opened and there was a monsoon like downpour. However, it passed through and the wind seemed light until just after the start when the true north westerly started to hit home. As with Sunday, there were some scary spinnaker legs, and the beats were hard work, but there weren’t so many capsizes (was that because Roy didn’t venture out?! :). Instead of Joe falling out, it was Scumper’s turn this time, and he had to practice front crawl to get back towards the quickly disappearing boat! Neil bravely fended off Scumper by luffing him high on the penultimate mark only to be caught tacking in Scumper’s water as he rounded the mark resulting in a 720 penalty, and losing a place.

The GPs series was won, after close racing, by Dave and Lynn from Hugh and Rhonwen with three bullets.

After lunch the winds increased even more, and there was some more close racing in the handicap fleet, especially between Robbie D and Scumper, but it was Robbie who won the race and the series.

In the FF fleet, Mike Moore with a nervous birthday girl (well almost) crewing, had four straight wins, and a blown out spinnaker, over Keith Thomas who had coaxed Graham Kirkpatrick from retirement to crew on one of the windiest days of the season!

The Smith family had a fleet of their own for the final race of the weekend, when they took out five toppers. Brotherly love didn’t stop Bean having to do turns after the start. Emma recovered well from one near capsize, but not the second!

The cruising fleet from Southport seemed to enjoy their weekend, and some of them took part in the racing, some of whom got to know the rescue crews very well! Perhaps they’ll be back for more next year?

FLYING FREE

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4 Pts
 1    3473  M MOORE       FF           1   1   1   1   3
 2    2504  K THOMAS      FF           2   2   2   2   6
 3    1901  J PRESTRIDGE  FF         DNS RTD DNS DNS  15
 3     924  S MCCLENNAN   FF         DNS RTD DNS DNS  15

                     Points for RTD =  3   5   3   3
                     Points for DSQ =  3   5   3   3
                     Points for DNS =  5

 3 races to count
AITKIN CUP

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4 Pts
 1   13176  D LAWSON      GP           1   1   1 DNS   2
 2   13905  H GODFREY     GP           2   2   2 DNS   4
 3   13118  V BELL        GP           3   3   3 DNS   6
 4   13867  D NICHOLSON   GP         RTD RTD  OD DNS   9
 5   13733  A HODGKINS    GP           4 DNS DNS DNS  11
 6   11721  R RHODES      GP         DNS RTD DNS DNS  14

                     Points for RTD =  6   7   4   0
                     Points for DSQ =  6   7   4   0
                     Points for DNS =  7

 2 races to count
AUGUST TROPHY

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4 Pts
 1    1072  R DAWSON      RS400        1   1   2   1   3
 2     937  W CARRUTHERS  RS400        2   2   5   4   8
 3    1148  N CURRIE      RS400        4   3   4   5  11
 4    1298  S HUNT        RS400      DNS DNS   1   3  17
 5    1049  M SOMERVILLE  RS400      DNS DNS   3   2  18
 6   91029  R BLACKBURN   RS400        3 RTD DNS DNS  21
 7     338  R YARDLEY     VARIO        5 RTD DNS DNS  23
 8    1125  JoHALLIDAY    RS400      RTD RTD DNS DNS  25
 9    6905  N GARRISON    DART       DNS DNS   6   6  25
10     114  T FLYNN       M16        DNS DNS   7   7  27
11   21863  D TODHUNTER   MS           6 DNS DNS DNS  32
12    1140  J CHRISTIE    LAS        DNS DNS RTD DNS  35

                     Points for RTD =  7   5   9   8
                     Points for DSQ =  7   5   9   8
                     Points for DNS = 13

 3 races to count
MJM

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9  10 Pts
 1   13905  H GODFREY     GP         DNS DNS   5   2 DNS DNS   2   1   1   3  14
 2   13885  M FAIRLAMB    GP         DNS DNS   3   3   1   1   3   3 DNS DNS  14
 3    1072  R DAWSON      RS400       OD DNS   1   1 DNS DNS   5   6   5   1  16
 4    3473  M MOORE       FF           1   1 DNS DNS DNS DNS   6   2   3   7  20
 5     937  W CARRUTHERS  RS400      DNS DNS   2   4 DNS DNS   4   4   7   4  25
 6  174889  S HALL        LAS          3   2   6   8   5   2 RTD RTD   8   8  26
 7   91029  R BLACKBURN   RS400        2 DNS DNS DNS  OD DNS DNS RTD  10   6  58
 8     103  A NICHOLSON   VARIO      DNS DNS DNS DNS   7   5 DNS DNS  12  11  87
 9  161866  M LORD        LAS        DNS DNS   8   9 DNS DNS DNS DNS   9  10  88
10   13733  A HODGKINS    GP         DNS DNS DNS   5   2 DNS DNS DNS   4 DNS  89
11   13867  D NICHOLSON   GP         DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS   7 DNS   2   5  92
12    1125  JoHALLIDAY    RS400      DNS DNS   7   7 DNS DNS DNS DNS RTD DNS 105
13    1298  S HUNT        RS400      DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS   1   5 DNS DNS 110
14  167828  I MACPHERSON  LAS        DNS DNS DNS DNS   4   3 DNS DNS DNS DNS 111
15    1049  M SOMERVILLE  RS400      DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS   6   2 112
16    3521  K JAMIESON    FF         DNS DNS DNS DNS   6   4 DNS DNS DNS DNS 114
17    9558  P HODGKINS    B14        DNS DNS   4   6 DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS 114
18  913467  M WRIGHT      GP         DNS DNS DNS DNS   8   6 DNS DNS DNS DNS 118
19    1140  J CHRISTIE    LAS        DNS DNS DNS DNS   3 DNS RTD DNS DNS DNS 119
20  173813  P BURNELL     LAS        DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS   8 RTD DNS DNS 123
21    6905  N GARRISON    DART       DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS  11   9 124
22  122174  P DILLON      LAS        DNS DNS DNS  10 DNS DNS DNS RTD DNS DNS 125
23   70142  T SMITH       MS         DNS DNS  OD DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS 133
24     338  R YARDLEY     VARIO      DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS   7 DNS DNS 137
25 9130338  A ROBERTS     LAS        DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS RTD DNS DNS DNS 142

                     Points for RTD =  4   3   9  11   9   7  12  11  13  12
                     Points for DSQ =  4   3   9  11   9   7  12  11  13  12
                     Points for DNS = 26

 6 races to count

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