Open Winter Series at Wilsonian Sailing Club

The Open Winter Series at Wilsonian Sailing Club concluded on Sunday 19th December with a scheduled morning race. However, the previous day’s snowfall made access to the club difficult and did not encourage competitors and sufficient duty crew to turnout, so racing was abandoned. Though, with the help of 4 x 4s, over 70 members turned up later for the prize giving and a Christmas dinner. The 13-race series had already been marred by light airs, subzero temperatures and two races were lost with the heavy snowfall. Entries were kept down to just 38 boats and low turnouts left many short of the six races to count.

Tony Hunt/Suzanne Hall (Laser 3000), Tim Kift/Jo Wicken and Richard Smith (Musto Skiff) closely contested the long course crown, ending with Hunt/Hall and Kift Wicken level on points and Smith one point adrift. However, with 4-firsts to count the tie was broken in Hunt/Hall’s favour whereas Kift/Wicken had just two. A mixed cluster of results was sufficient for Aaron/Nicola Smith (29ER) to pickup 4th prize.

Brian Lamb/Sam Pygall (Wayfarer) and Stuart Bailey/Zoe Noble (Buzz) were the main contenders for the medium course title and both finished with four top spots to count. However two seconds gave Lamb/Pygall victory as Bailey/Noble had to count a second and a fourth place. Consistent results rewarded Matthew Love (Blaze) with third prize, while Gordon Belcher (Laser) and Peter Horner/David Booker (Buzz) did enough for fourth and fifth respectively.

Roy Winnett/Geoff Lambert, with four victories to count, won the Laser 2000 contest to lift the lapping course trophy, while Brian Warwick/Jack Fullman with three top places secured runners-up prize and Jayne Lambert/Paul Thorpe (Laser 2000) with a win, two seconds and two thirds claimed third prize.

Overall Results:

Long course fleet

Medium course fleet

Lapping course fleet