Frostbite Series at Alton Water Sailing Club - Race 4
By Jenny Pavey on 23 Jan22 January 2012 © Emer BerryFrostbite Series race 4
© Nigel Best
There are now 106 entries for this popular and very competitive nine-week series sponsored by Zhik through Seamark Nunn, with exactly half of those being visitors from various sea clubs. This week, for some reason, many of the sailors decided they’d rather practice their photography skills from the shore than race. However, with a brisk and gusty westerly blowing and a short sharp shower as they were launching, forty four keen but slightly nervous sailors took to the water.
As usual there were five fleets and this week no-one wanted a general recall so they were all well-behaved. The wind picked up and was averaging 23 knots but with memorable gusts, the highest recorded being 33 knots, resulting in numerous spectacular capsizes, over half the fleet retiring and a few breakages including a Lark with a broken mast and a Dart with a shredded jib, though fortunately no damage to the people. At this point the photographers were feeling very pleased with themselves.
The course was shortened for all fleets, with the Fast and Phantom fleets sailing two laps and the Lasers, Medium and Slow fleets only completing one, but with the lap having two beats and several competitors going for multiple swims on the way round, there was plenty of scope for overtaking. There were relieved grins on the faces of the finishers when they realised they didn’t have to go round again and no-one complained when the Race Officer declared there would be no more racing that day. The 18 finishers thoroughly deserved their lunch and a well-earned result from a short but exciting race.
Race 4 of the Sub-Zero series will now be sailed as the third race of the day, after the Frostbite Race 5 and Sub-Zero Race 5 next Sunday, 29 January if conditions and time allow.
Provisional Race 4 Results
Fast Handicap:
1st Alan Krailing/Tim Linsell - Fireball, Waldringfield SC
2nd David Charlton/Celia Charlton - Lark, Brightlingsea SC
3rd Malcolm Parker - Blaze, Alton Water SC
Phantoms (only 2 finishers):
1st Neil Collingridge - Waldringfield SC
2nd Bob Portway - Alton Water SC
Lasers:
1st Rheanna Pavey - Radial, Alton Water SC
2nd Hobie Wright - Radial, Alton Water SC
3rd Tom Chippendale - Standard, Waldringfield SC
Medium Handicap:
1st Matthew Stearn/Kerry Ryan - Lark, Waldringfield SC
2nd Harry Pynn/Gemma Cook - Lark, Waldringfield SC
3rd Stephen Videlo/Maddie Harris - Lark, Waldrinfield SC
Slow Handicap (1 finisher):
1st David Labrouche - Optimist, Deben SC
There has been a slight reshuffle in the overall series leaders with Alan Krailing/Tim Linsell still leading the fast fleet and Matthew House the Phantoms. Rheanna Pavey now leads the Lasers and Harry Pynn/Gemma Cook in the Lark have taken the lead in the Medium fleet from their fellow Larkers Stephen Videlo and Maddie Harris, though they are on equal points. David Labrouche still leads the Slow fleet in his Optimist. Five races remain with two more discards to come into play if all nine races take place, so there’s plenty of time for new challengers to emerge.
Full results can be found at www.altonwater.co.uk
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