Chichester Yacht Club Open Snowflake Series - Day 1

Chichester Yacht Club Snowflake Series day 1 © Louise Varley

CYC's Open Snowflake Series started with 2 races on Sunday 5th January, in grey overcast conditions and a gusty southerly breeze of 16-20 knots. The course was a trapezoid with an outer loop.

In Race 1 of the series, there were 16 entrants in the fast fleet, including 6 from CYC. It was the visiting Merlin Rockets which dominated however, taking the first 4 places both on the water and on handicap: Nick Craig & Allan Roberts (Felpham SC), Steve & Sarah Cockerill (HISC), Alex Jackson & Fran Gifford (Shoreham SC), and William Warren & Mark Oakley (Shoreham). Craig & Roberts won the second race, followed home by Warren & Oakley. Just a second behind to take 3rd on the water was the RS400 of James & Anne Gardener (HISC), but they dropped to 6th on handicap. Jackson & Gifford took 3rd place, relegating the Cockerills to 4th.

The medium fleet comprised 20 boats, 6 from CYC. Race 1 was led by the single-handers, Richard Bailey (Emsworth) taking 1st in his Laser, followed by Geoff Sherwood (HISC) sailing very fast in a Laser Radial. Lucy Boreham was 2nd equal on handicap in her Europe, followed home on the water by Ian Payne (CYC), but he was beaten on handicap by the Solos of Gerome Bakker (HISC) and Ray Collins (Locks SC). In Race 2, 1st home was Bailey, but Sherwood beat him on handicap. 3 Lasers and a National 12 crossed the line next, but it was Bakker in his Solo who took 3rd place.

The slow fleet of 11 boats had 7 CYC entrants, but the visiting Mirrors from Itchenor, sailed by Edward & Celia Hansell, and Tash & Sarah Ewart Smith, took 1st and 3rd places in Race 1, despite being beaten on the water by Jess Carter and Charlie South, both CYC Topper sailors, in 2nd and 4th. In Race 2 the Mirrors were beaten into 4th and 6th by the Toppers of Carter, Howard Lane (Lancing) and Charlotte Reading (CYC).

For full results see www.cyc.co.uk/dinghy_section/results/opens/snowflake_2014.htm