Osprey Open at Coniston Sailing Club
by Alec Mamwell 2 Jun 2011 23:22 BST
28-30 May 2011
Eleven Ospreys eventually came to the line for the start of Coniston Sailing Club's annual event held over the late May Bank Holiday. Two races were sailed on the Saturday in a pleasant force 3-4 and Richard and Mark Hartley quickly asserted their dominance over the fleet with two wins. On both occasions they were chased all the way by Mike Pickering and Mike Priddle. Behind the leading pair competition was quite fierce with Viola and Mike Scott sharing third places with Robert Shaw and Ian Little. In the evening competing teams were entertained by ex Osprey sailor and professional guitarist/ singer Dave Metcalfe who had also been persuaded out of his Streaker back into and Osprey for the weekend.
Sunday dawned grey and ominous with vicious gusts sweeping the lake. A slightly reduced fleet set out on the long haul to Peel Island (Wildcat Island for some). Various gear failures, some sadly irreparable, gusts touching 40 mph and common sense quickly reduced the fleet to four and eventually three boats with Paddy Lewis and Tom Holland, proving masters of the difficult conditions, earning a well deserved win after a wild ride. They were followed home by Alec Mamwell and Arthur Butler and Shaw and Little.
The remaining two races of the day were sailed in slightly more amenable conditions. Shaw and Little led race four until the last beat when the Hartleys managed to squeeze past and take the win. Lewis and Holland came home in third. Race five provided the Hartleys with another bullet whilst Lewis and Holland held off a late challenge from Mamwell and Butler. There were some very tired crews enjoying their first beers in the late afternoon sunshine after a strenuous but excellent days racing.
Monday started with light winds, rain and low cloud but, just in time for the racing, conditions improved and race six got away in a force 2-4 southerly. The Hartleys once again led home Shaw and Little closely followed by Paul Heather and Jon Osgood enjoying their best result of the weekend. Race seven saw the Mamwells reunited and leading the race until the death when three boats, the Hartleys, Shaw and Little and the Scotts, passed them to finish in that order.
Once again the Ospreys had enjoyed their trip to Coniston experiencing a wide variety of weather and wind conditions as well as a warm welcome from the host club. Overall the Hartleys had proved worthy winners, followed by Shaw and Little in second, Lewis and Holland in third and the Mamwell Butler combination in fourth place on count back.
Overall Results:
1st 1343, Richard and Mark Hartley
2nd 1317, Robert Shaw and Ian Little
3rd 1337, Paddy Lewis and Tom Holland
4th 1276, Alec and Angela Mamwell / Arthur Butler