Enterprise Double Chine Series at Rudyard Lake Sailing Club

This joint Midland/ North West event, the Seventh in the Midland Area Double Chine Series Sponsored by Speed Sails was held at Rudyard Lake Sailing Club on Sunday 5th June.

The twelve boat fleet included eight visitors from Pilkington, Glossop, Bartley, Etherow, Midland, Sutton and Shustoke Sailing clubs were greeted by a dry warm day with an unstable wind. In the first race an extremely variable wind gave a very port biased start line but with the wind filling in on the right hand side of the course, it was that side that eventually paid off. After the first three marks, Sam Woods and Rick Hayton(Glossop SC) , John Berry and Erika Hayton (Etherow SC)and Richard Critchley and Robert Lea (PilkingtonSC) had pulled out a hundred yard lead on Jon Woodward and Alex Halliwell (Bartley /WLYC),who in turn had a hundred yards on the rest of the fleet. The leading three however fell to a hole and could do nothing as they watched Jon and Alex plane up behind, who in turn could do nothing as the fleet piled in behind them. With carnage at the leeward mark, Richard and Robert managed to salvage first with Jon and Alex second but both Sam and Rick and also John and Erika were left in the pack. The lead changed again on the next downwind leg with Jon and Alex claiming water on one mark, only to lose it again on the next. The next lap saw Jon and Alex pass Richard and Robert again , but then up the beat trying to find wind, dropped off too far to leeward and Richard and Robert took the lead which they then held to the end of the race. Jon and Alex finished second with Paul Young and Megan Ward (Midland SC) having a good last lap finishing third.

After an excellent lunch the second race started on a new course. John and Erika, followed closely by Richard and Robert broke free of the fleet quickly but took the wrong side of the course heading as the shifting wind changed the reach into a beat. Trapped by the back marking Albacores, they were unable to defend as both Sam and Rick and Jon and Alex took the other favoured side. By the mark, Sam and Rick had taken the lead with a few lengths gap to Richard and Robert followed by Jon and Alex. Richard and Robert closed the gap but failed to pass, and a sprint took place from the last mark down to the finish but Sam and Rick held their nerve and took the race by a quarter of a boats length, with Richard and Robert second and Jon and Alex third.

With three contenders for the title, the course for the third race was changed for the wind which had swung 180 degrees, but just before the start it swung back and left everyone running for the first mark. Many gybes and calls of starboard and windward boat later; it was John and Erika who rounded first with Richard and Robert, Jon and Alex and Sam and Rick not far behind. John and Erika held their nerve up the beat, while the positions switched between the next three several times. John and Erika unfortunately rounded the mark the wrong way and had to go back leaving Jon and Alex in first with trailing Sam and Rick and Richard and Robert. Richard and Robert took the clubhouse side of the lake and worked their way into a small lead. This was later closed by Sam and Rick and Jon and Alex, but with Sam and Rick opting to cover Jon and Alex and hang onto a safe second, Richard and Robert pulled away again to take the race and the title. Sam and Rick took second overall - a fantastic result for the talented young sailors and Jon and Alex in third overall.

Overall Results: