Dam to Dam Challenge and Open at Kielder Water Sailing Club
by Fergus Holland 4 May 2010 19:32 BST
1-3 May 2010
The Dam to Dam challenge at Kielder Water © John Scullion
On Monday the 3rd of May 18 boats took to the water for the Kielder Dam to Dam Challenge, a 14 mile race from one end of the reservoir to the other, and back again! Beautiful skies and a force 3-4 northerly greeted the competitors as they set out to sail.
The course was a simple 4 mark course giving more tactical decisions for the competitors on the water. The race got underway only a couple of minutes late to make sure the reservoir's ferry didn’t cause a rather large obstruction in the middle of the race course.
After the first leg the boats were still thoroughly mixed up with Ospreys, Lasers and Musto Skiffs dotted throughout the fleet. Quickly the faster boats could make use of their power to hop straight up on to the plane and fly down straight to the far end. However, it wasn’t all ‘plane sailing’, positions were changing all the way and with an unforgivable gusty wind, a few took an early bath. This did however mean that it left the race with everything to play for right until the last minute.
By the time the leaders had emerged from the far reaches of the other end of the lake, there was huge separation from the leaders and the chasing boats, however Viola and Mike Scott together with Rob Shaw and Ian Little were as close as they had been at the start, finishing within only 1 second of each other! Impressive stuff over such a long distance.
All the competitors performed very well, especially novices and skiffers alike, given the gusty and shifty winds they were given. A big thank you to all those who travelled to join us, and to those in the patrol boats and galley without whom it wouldn’t be possible to run such fun events.
Dam to Dam Challenge Results:
1st Viola and Mike Scott, Osprey (Kielder Water SC)
2nd Rob Shaw, Ian Little, Osprey (Kielder Water SC)
3rd & 1st Junior, Michael Matthews, Musto Skiff (Sunderland YC)
Kielder's annual Windward Leeward Open took place on 1 and 2 May, with 20 boats.
Windward Leeward Open Results:
1st Alastair Conn, Musto Skiff (Derwent Reservoir SC)
2nd John Reekie, Musto Skiff (Bassenthwaite SC)
3rd Rob Shaw and Ian Little, Osprey (Kielder Water SC)
1st Junior, Michael Matthews, Musto Skiff (Sunderland YC)