Kestrel National Championships at Stone Sailing Club - Day 1
by Kevin Edwins 26 Jul 2013 15:20 BST
25-28 July 2013
The first day of this years National at Stone Sailing Club saw 18 Kestrels line up for the first race on the Blackwater.
With a strong tide pushing the fleet to the line it was inevitable that some would be over the line and as predicted a general recall was sounded.
The second start was clean apart from two individual recalls. The fleet was sailing a triangular sausage. John and Olive Glasspool were first to the windward mark followed by Liam Pike and Alistair Luxford, these two boats fought for first position for 90% of the race with John and Olive making a small mistake at the spacer mark causing them to lose second place to Malcolm and Danielle Worsley and third place to Graham Hoy and Tony King.
Race 2 was a clean start for all boats with the breeze increasing to a Force 3 and gusting to 4. Again the racing was very close all the way through the fleet with Pike and Luxford fighting for first position with the Worsleys and again Hoy and King and the Glasspools in the first four places. Further down the fleet Edwins and Jones had a capsize when a toestrap became loose.
Final results for Race 2 were Malcolm and Danielle Worsley in first place, Liam Pike and Alistair Worsley in second place and third place went to Graham Hoy and Tony King.
Race 3 Rod and Jenny Brown-Lee in 1573 managed a port end start and crossed the whole fleet who were on starboard.
Hoy and King in 1574 got a good start and led the fleet to the first windward mark. The Richards boys in 1627 were in contention for the top places. The breeze had increased making the three sail reaches fast and exciting.
Final results were Liam Pike and Alistair Luxford in first place, Graham Hoy and Tony King in second place and John and Olive Glasspool in third place.
The day was rounded off with the Commodores Reception, kindly hosted by Stone Sailing Club and trophys and prizes kindly donated by Hartley Boats, presented with a spot prize given to Rod and Jenny Brown-Lee for their port end flyer at the start of race 3.