Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle Series 2014 at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Day 9
by Paul Heath 5 Mar 2014 06:53 GMT
2 March 2014
Another Sunday, another southerly! Never mind the direction though because a favourable wind forecast of 12 - 15 knots, which was due to increase as the day went on, was enough to get a fantastic 81 boats on the water for races 17 & 18 in the Crewsaver sponsored Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club.
During the first race the average wind speed was 12 knots with gusts of up to 25 knots recorded.
As is the norm for setting a course when the wind is in this direction the race team, led this weekend by Mike Baldwin, set the beats using the width of the water but again allowed the fleets a few fast downwind legs before a long reach along the north shore to the leeward mark before we did it all again.
There was a large turn out and close racing as the 19 strong Lasers did battle. When they did eventually start, after a general recall and re-starting under a black flag, the series leader Greg Marshall (WLYC) and second placed Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) resumed their battle at the front of the fleet and Hopkins took the win while Marshall had to settle for second. Bill Busby (LLSC) returned to the fleet after a two week layoff and finished third while fourth overall in the series Graham McWhirter (UKLA) came home in fourth.
Second fleet away was the 32 boat handicap fleet which included 14 Solos (the results of which are taken separately from the handicap finish) In the main handicap fleet the crew of the X1, Alex Morrison/Steve White (LLSC) showed that all their practise is starting to pay off as, on the start, they tacked off the port biased line, powered up the first beat leaving all other boats in their wake and went on to take the win on corrected time. Richard Catchpole (LLSC – RS300) came home in second while the GP14 of Greg Thomas/Sarah Allen (Southport SC) found the short beats and long kite flying off wind legs to their liking as they finished in third. Gareth Williams (LLSC – Europe) rounded off the top four.
In the Solo fleet it was Ian Hopwood (Nantwich & Borders SC) who made the early running but he was caught by Paul Heath (LLSC) These two pulled away from the other Solos and swopped the lead at various times but Heath managed to edge his nose in front on the last downwind leg and came home first with Hopwood second. Behind them it was new to the series in a Solo, Graeme Bristow (LLSC), who took third and Andy Fox (LLSC) fourth.
Next away were the 12 boat Asymmetric fleet and the top four places in each of today's races went to RS400's who pulled out quite a bit of distance from the other classes on the long downwind legs. Today saw the return of series leaders Paul/Mike Allen (LLSC) who seized the day and the race on corrected time to claim victory. Second overall went to Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (West Riding SC) while behind him Bill Kenyon/Andy Dawson (Budworth SC) finished third to claim their best result of the series so far. Currently second overall in the series Dave Exley/Nigel Hall (LLSC) had to settle for fourth.
I know it is repeated in every weekly report (and only because it's true) and that is the fact that in the 19 strong junior fleet there was very close, quality racing as the lead boats ducked and dived looking for the smallest advantage for get to the front and take a win. The top five places in the first race were taken by Toppers. First home in race 1, after a three week layoff from the series, was Steph Wingeatt (LLSC) who held off series leader Oliver Blackburn (LLSC) Third was Tom Wallwork (Redesmere SC) with Sam Platt (Bolton SC) taking fourth.
After a hearty lunch the fleet launched again for Race 2 which saw an average wind speed recorded of 11 knots with gusts of 23 knots.
In the Lasers Hopkins and Marshall started as they finished, raced off to the front of the fleet and began to engage in another on the water battle. This time it was Marshalls turn to take the win and this places him back on top of the series leader board. Third home was John 'The Wanderer' Wingeatt (LLSC) and fourth Stuart Belfield (LLSC).
In the handicap fleet the series leader Andy Flitcroft (Bolton SC – Supernova) put the disappointment of a 6th in the first race behind him to take the win and cement his position at the top of the pile. Second again was Richard Catchpole with the other RS300 of Peter Mackin (Bolton SC) just behind him in third in both the race and the series. Gareth Williams was consistent in fourth.
Solo wise it was series leader Patrick Hamilton (Burwain) who hit the front followed by Phil Barnes (Budworth SC) and Paul Heath. As the race progressed it was very close between these three and in the gusty and shifting breeze it was anyones to win or lose. In the end Heath struck lucky with a few wind shifts to edge in front and then went on to extend his lead to take the win from Hamilton in second, Barnes third and Bristow in fourth.
The second race in the asymmetric fleet saw the Allen brothers take their second win of the day and that leaves them comfortably at the top of the series table. Exley/Hall upped their game to take second while Gledhill/Dowse slipped down into third and this is how they stand in the series overall. Fourth home, and in this race avoiding any near collision or contentious calls, was Tony Woods/Charlie Berry (Glossop SC).
The first two places in the second race of the junior fleet were flipped on their head as Blackburn took the win with Wingeatt second. Third, and flying the flag for the Optimists, was Drew Gibbons (Redesmere SC) while fourth went to Tom Wallwork.
With 4 new entries 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 169.
Next weekend is the penultimate weekend of the series with just 4 possible races left. Some of the RS fleet are off to play with the big boys at their annual winter champs this coming weekend but the in-fleet battles for top prizes of series sponsor Crewsaver's popular Phase2 Dinghy racing equipment and LLSC goodies (Yes, the highly sought after and collectable LLSC mug) is ongoing. Remember 'You need to be in it to win it' so come along and try and improve your overall position to get 'in the chocolates'
Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle series, the largest club winter dinghy series in the country.
Full results can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2014Tipsy.htm