Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle Series 2014 at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Day 8
by Paul Heath 25 Feb 2014 12:33 GMT
23 February 2014
Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton SC: Races 15 & 16
With a weather forecast for Sunday predicting a return of the 50 mph + winds, half term week and holidays plus 59 boats deciding to sail in the previous days rescheduled New Years day pursuit race believing it maybe their only chance to sail this weekend, it was no surprise that numbers were down for Sundays races 15 & 16 in the Crewsaver sponsored Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton sailing club.
Competitors were met by a grey overcast sky with a hint of rain in the air and a gusty southerly Force 5 breeze. The decision was made to go afloat and 39 boats headed out to the start area for the usual starting format. Given the wind direction the race officer set two beats using the width of the Flash which proved to be more shifty as the boats neared the south shore, as a few boats found out to their cost with capsizes to windward, but they were compensated by the long offwind legs which, when the 31 knot gusts hit them, made for many a happy (and slightly scared) sailor provided they stayed upright. During the first race the wind settled to an average speed of 16 knots with many gusts of up to 31 knots recorded.
Only 8 Lasers ventured out but the fleet included the top 4 boats in the series, two of which deciding to use their radial rigs. This fleet is turning into a two horse race between Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) and Greg Marshall (West Lancs YC) and it was Hopkins who took the win while Marshall, having missed the start and some 2 minutes behind the fleet, managed to claw his way through to take second. Glyn Purnell (LLSC) finished third and Tim Luke (Killington Sailing Association) had his best result of the series to date as he persevered and sailed well in the trying conditions to finish fourth.
Second fleet away was the 16 boat handicap fleet which included 5 Solos (the results of which are taken separately from the handicap finish) Again the top several boats in the handicap fleet were on the water to battle it out and those that avoided capsizing too many times, if at all, proved victorious. Series leader Andy Flitcroft (Supernova – Bolton SC) revelled in the breeze as he powered off into the lead but did suffer a capsize that slowed him down somewhat so that overall he finished the race second on corrected time. Behind him the RS300's of second and third in the series Richard Catchpole (LLSC) and Peter Machin (Bolton SC) suffered from a number of instability and gear problems which resulted in Catchpole retiring and Machin finishing outside the top four. The Enterprise national champion team of Mark Lunn/Steve Blackburn (WLYC) found the conditions to their liking as they sailed fast and upright to take the win. Third place went to the Albacore crew of Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC) and fourth to the X1 of Alex Morrison/Steve White (LLSC)
In the 5 boat Solo fleet the series leader Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) was missing but such is his dominance of the series that he had no worries of being knocked off the top spot. With close racing, place swopping and one windward dunking each it was Paul Heath (LLSC) who took the win from Ian Harridge (Nantwich & Borders SC) The improving Chris Tooley (South Windermere SC) took third and Steve Ferrington (West Kirby) rounded off the top four.
Next away were the 7 boat Asymmetric fleet who, due to the wind direction, had to make do with sailing 'around the cans' like the other fleets. It was fast and furious at the front as the RS400's of Martin/Liam 'gimpy knee' Parker and Dave Exley/Nigel Hall (LLSC) battled it out but in the end it was a close finish as they crossed the line in that order. Believing they had done enough to take the top two spots their joy was short lived as for the second weekend running the RS Feva XL of Harvey Martin and Bobby Hewitt (LLSC) stormed through to pip both RS400's on corrected time to take the overall win. The Parkers had to settle for second and Exley/Hall third. Fourth was the RS400 of Gary Knott/Helen 'man up' Blackburn (LLSC)
The 9 boat junior fleet was as competitive as ever with the top six boats in the series out on the water. There was close racing between the fleet as the Toppers of Tom Wallwork (Redesmere SC), series leader Oliver Blackburn (LLSC) and Sam Platt (Bolton SC) took the first three places with the Optimist of Harvey Leigh (LLSC) splitting the Topper dominance and finishing fourth.
After lunch the tired fleet launched again in similar conditions with a Race 2 average wind speed recorded of 15 knots with gusts of 30 knots.
In the Lasers Greg Marshall proved that it helps to start on time as he was then able to battle out the race with Jack Hopkins. In the end Marshall took the bullet with Hopkins second. Third home was Graham McWhirter (UKLA) and fourth Glyn Purnell. In the series Hopkins holds a slender 1 point lead over Marshall while it looks like McWhirter and Purnell will be battling it out for third and fourth place overall.
In the handicap fleet Peter Mackin managed to stay upright long enough to take first place on corrected time while Andy Flitcroft scored another second. The X1 of Morrison/White went one better to finish third and Lunn/Blackburn came home in fourth. Series wise Flitcroft has a 5 point cushion over Catchpole while third placed Mackin is 1 point behind Catchpole.
In the Solos it was the same top four as race 1 with another battle at the front between Heath and Harridge. Heath managed to capsize while leading and was overtaken by Harridge but a big knocking downwind gust saw Heath sail off to leeward of Harridge, pop back into the lead and hold it from there on to take the win. Overall in the series Hamilton is comfortably in the lead and Harridge, having got rid of his DNC results and now counting races sailed, has climbed to second with Heath dropping to third.
Exley/Hall made no mistakes in the second Asymmetric race of the day as they revelled in the big breeze to sail well and upright to finish miles ahead of the fleet to take first place overall. The RS Feva XL crew had to settle for second while the Parkers, having trawled their kite and later practised their swimming and boat righting techniques, came home in third with Bill Kenyon/Andy Dawson (RS400 – Budworth SC) fourth. Series leaders Paul/Mike Allen (RS400) were absent this weekend due to family commitments but they retain the overall lead while Exley/Hall have now climbed into second some 7 points behind them. Gledhill/Dowse (RS400), who were also missing this weekend, have dropped to third 5 points behind Exley/Hall while McKeand/Partingtone (RS200), who were on race team duty this weekend, are now fourth overall 1.8 points behind Gledhill/Dowse.
The junior fleet also had a new race winner as Oliver Blackburn went one better to take the win. Sam Platt also improved on the first race to take second while Tom Wallwork dropped to third. Michael Platt (Bolton SC) round off the top four. Overall Blackburn comfortably leads the series with 9 points while Sam Platt is 11 points behind in second. Third, and no doubt wanting to beat his brother, is Michael Platt on 29 points with Tom Wallwork close behind with 32 points.
Once again a special thanks to our race team and especially the safety boat teams without out whom we could not begin to race and who had another busy day on the water.
With 1 new entry to the series this weekend it means that the total number of crews we have had on the water to date, and crossing the start line during the Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle series, is 165.
With three weekends and a possible 6 races to go before the end of the series there is still plenty to play for and prizes to be won in all fleets so come along and join us as the Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle series, the largest club winter dinghy series in the country, begins to draw to a close.
Also don't forget that this coming weekend it's the RYA Suzuki Dinghy Show at Alexander Palace where the new Crewsaver Phase2 gear will be available on Crewsaver retailer's stands at the show and after that at selected retailers throughout the UK.
Full results can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2014Tipsy.htm