GJW Direct Lark Belle Isle Series at Rock Sailing and Waterski Club

by Nigel Hufton 14 May 2013 07:55 BST 4-5 May 2013

The Larks returned to Rock over the May Bank Holiday for their 26th annual visit in the GJW Direct Lark Belle Isle Series.

On day one, race officer Martin Hough took a look at the waves on the famous Doom Bar and decided to hold both races inside the harbour on the high tide. Those banging right managed to cheat the last of the flood and it was class chairman James Ward and wife Katie who spotted the advantage and held off the fleet to the end, followed by Emma Harris/Nigel Scott and Steve Hall/Oli Wells.

In race 2, Nigel Hufton & Adam Owens spotted that the tide had turned and played the shifts, leading the fleet around the windward mark and building a comfortable lead. Harris/Scott held off the chasing pack, with Chris Whitehouse & Ellie Bremer third.

Day 2 dawned bright and cold, a lighter westerly allowing a course to be set in the bay. Whitehouse & Hufton split tacks before the start and deduced that banging left towards the bar at the start of the flood would pay. They both started early on the traditional Rock gate start and rounded one-two. However, Pynn/Cook gate-crashed the party up the beats to take first ahead of Hufton/Owens. In race 4, the party resumed, Pynn again taking the bullet, this time ahead of Whitehouse/Bremer and Hufton/Owens.

This left 4 boats in the race for the title. Race 5 started in a warm Force 3 in the bay. With the tide still on the ebb and backed to SSE, it paid to start late and bang right. A large shift to the right then compounded the pain for those going left. Whitehouse/Bremer got away to build a commanding lead, with Hufton getting the better of Pynn in their on-going rivalry.

At the start of the last race, the three remaining contenders all started very late, again banging right. Pynn/Cook sprinted out of the blocks, with Tim Vick and Rebecca Marks enjoying early success. Hufton/Owens climbed to second and – not realising there were 2 discards - thought they were in a winning position. Fortunately for them, in a building breeze they set their sights on overhauling the lighter crew ahead, finally taking them Pynn/Cook on a two-sail reach, thereby winning by one point!

Pictures available on the Rock Sailing and Waterski Club facebook page.

Overall Results:

Pos	Sail No	Boat Name	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1	2470	TIGER	Nigel Hutton	Adam Oven	9	1	2	3	2	1	6
2	2520	ROLLER GIRL	Harry Pynn	Gemma Cook	7	7	1	1	3	2	7
3	2411	VOODOO	Chris Whitehouse	Elena Bremer	12	3	3	2	1	11	9
4	2472	BOMBER	Emma Harris	Nigel Scott	2	2	4	5	10	4	12
5	2503		Pete Mitchell	Karen Falcon	4	15	6	4	7	7	21
6	2536		Steve Hall	Oli Wells	3	4	12	13	11	5	23
7	2132		Ross Kearney	Jane Alexander	15	5	8	6	4	10	23
8	2507	BRUCE	James Ward	Katie Ward	1	13	11	9	5	16	26
9	2533	SMART PANTS	Toby Wincer	Ali Dart	14	12	9	8	6	3	26
10	2484	MUPPET	Dougal Scott	Helen Scott	6	9	5	11	8	14	28
11	2496	NELLY THE ELEPHANT	Steve Cumley	Lucy Evans	5	10	13	12	9	9	33
12	2475	BUCKAROO	Chris Holliman	Kate Hutchins	11	6	10	14	15	6	33
13	2370		Tim Vick	Rebecca Marks	8	8	14	10	14	8	34
14	2462	MR BIGGLESWORTH	Nick Marlow	Joanna Marlow	16	14	7	7	12	12	38
15	2490	BOB	Robert Marlow	Ruth Marlow	10	16	15	15	16	15	55
16	2502	WEEBLE	Steve Chatten	Helen Woodward	13	11	NYF	18	19	13	55
17	2530	WIND CHASER	Chris Ellis	Judith Young	18	17	16	16	18	17	66
18	2510	MINNIE MINNIE LOU	Mike Williams	Mark Chadwick	19	18	17	19	17	18	70
19	2527	FLOOZIE	Eluned Stewart	Ruth Johnson	17	DNF	NYF	NYF	13	NYF	72
20	1948	REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL	Daniel Sell	Laura Lilly	20	DNF	NYF	17	20	19	76