Kielder Water Sailing Club end of season report
by Nicola Bell 11 Dec 2007 17:05 GMT
Who won what
With 17 series to sail for in the season, and two junior series, there is plenty of opportunity for dinghy sailors to hone their racing skills at Kielder. The racing programme features a mixture of one-day series, series spread over a few weeks, and ones which last the whole season. The intention is that even if people cannot sail every weekend, or are away for parts of the year, they can still qualify for series. Courses vary from short triangles to 15 mile courses the length and breadth of the lake, to encourage juniors and novices and to challenge experienced sailors.
Series winners were:
Spring Series, Round the Lake, Ramblers Series, Kielder Collection, Little America's Cup, Winter Series - Viola Scott
Fewster Series - Colin Murray
Single Handed Series - Sarah Herbert
Double Handed Series - Graham Thumwood
Junior Series, Junior Little America's Cup - Oliver Murray
Ladies Series - Christine Fair
Novice Series - Geoff Wilkinson
None of the Above, Stern Chase Series - Steve Jarvis
Picnic Series, Autumn Series - Nicola Bell
Summer Series - Rob Shaw
Dam to Dam Challenge - Paddy Lewis
Helms and crews placed first, second and third in each series are awarded prizes, so a total of 35 people took away bowls, vases and mugs, specially commissioned from Smailholm Pottery.
So what is the secret of success, to bring home a shiny trophy for the mantelpiece, sideboard or piano? Here are some top tips from successful Kielder sailors. Not all of them are difficult to achieve:
- If you are at the back, smile and relax - even sing. It makes the folk in front of you nervous.
- Make sure your family includes different crew sizes for different weather conditions (this may involve long-term planning).
- Buy a boat with a PY greater than 1000. If it's easier to sail, you'll get round more quickly.
- Get your boat set up properly and compare with other boats in the same class.
- Sail enough races in the series to qualify - you may be the only person who does!
- Sail the last race in the series in case you tie on points and rule A8.2 applies.
- Get to the start line on time, know where the buoys are and which order to round them.
Kielder Water SC is an RYA training centre, so many adults and juniors start sailing with us. They can progress through racing and organised cruising events, and Best Improver awards are made at the end of the season. Best adult improver was Kirstie McAlpine, who narrowly missed winning the Novice series through the application of rule A8.2. Best junior was Oliver Murray, winner of the Junior series, the Junior Little America's Cup, and crew for his father's National 18, which won the Fewster Cup and the Fast Handicap at the Kielder open meeting.
Kielder sailors have had successes at open meetings across the country and abroad. Giles Passmore came 4th in the Silver fleet at the Flying Fifteen Worlds in Majorca. Fergus Holland flew the KWSC flag at the RS600 Nationals, Chris Herbert at the ISO Nationals, Francis Scott at the 420 Nationals and Peter Hawkin at the Supernova Inlands.
Final positions of Kielder and part Kielder boats at the Osprey Nationals at Porthpean were:
5th Rob Shaw & Jon Batt
6th Viola & Michael Scott
12th Alec Mamwell & Ian Little
20th Bill Crichton & Tom Holland
21st Paddy Lewis & Francis Scott
22nd Don Pipes & Dave Shaw
Viola Scott made an exceptional achievement, being the first woman helm ever to win the Osprey Inlands, held at Rutland this year, with Alec Mamwell and Ian Little second, and Paddy Lewis and Tom Holland fifth.
Back on home waters, new this year was Ian Little's Greased Cougar speed challenge, to time the fastest boat across the 900m diameter circle of racing marks. Winner was Peter Hobson's foiling Moth at 23.6 knots, hotly pursued by Paul Turnbull's Byte CII at 22.9 knots.