GJW Direct Belle Isle double header at Shustoke and South Staffs

GJW Direct Belle Isle Series at South Staffs © Nicola Booth

GJW Direct Belle Isle Midlands "double header" weekend

Shustoke on Saturday

The forecast was right, sunny weather and force 4/5 conditions guaranteed to blow the winter cobwebs away.

Race one started with Steve Cumley & Lucy Evans taking the lead with Stuart Hydon & Rachel Rhodes behind. With a tight 3 sail reaches the 2 pulled away from the pack. During the closing stages of the race Hydon & Rhodes worked past Cumley & Evans and held their position. Tim Vick and Rebecca Marks took third ahead of Chris & Ann Biglin.

Race 2 started with Hydon and Rhodes leading from the start. Battle for 2nd onwards was contested by Vick & Marks, Ryan Crawford & Laura Lilly and Adrian Padro & Chloe Broad.

Race 3 saw the wind drop a little. There was much place changing up the first beat, but it was Adrian Padro and Chloe Broad that led the pack. Hydon and Rhodes managed to come back from 5th Vick & Marks close behind. Hydon and Rhodes snatched the lead and covered Padro & Broad up the final beat. Padro & Broad headed left which allowed Vick & Marks to bang the right-hand corner. Coming into the line Hydon & Rhodes broke their cover tactic and sailed for the line to head off Vick and Marks. After a cross tacking Vick & Marks managed to take first position.

Thanks to the OD for some challenging courses and the Penzance Pirates for fielding 3 boats!

Shustoke Results:

1st Stuart Hydon and Rachel Rhodes (Shustoke/Staunton Harold)
2nd Tim Vick and Rebecca Marks
3rd Steve Cumley and Lucy Evans (Bartley)
4th Adrian Padro and Chloe Broad (Shustoke)

South Staffs on Sunday

The wind was much the same as the previous day, but certainly even sunnier. The drama of the day started well before the start of the racing with carnage on the A5 which delayed a couple of competitors until race 2. Having said that there was a respectable entry of 20 boats.

Race one began rather the same as the previous day with Steve Cumley & Lucy Evans establishing a marginal lead ahead of Stuart Hydon & Rich Pepperdine. Towards the closing stages of the race Hydon & Pepperdine slipped past Cumley & Evans. Sam Watson and Andrew Hunter took third.

Race 2 started with the arrival the late comers together with Mike Senior who had completed a half marathon in the morning! Chris White/Chris Warburton led the race ahead of Ed Bradburn & Lucy Evans and Will Croxford & Heather Norris. The domination of the South Staffs had started, however, with the tight racing came infringements and it wasn't long before Chris White was doing turns. This allowed Hydon & Pepperdine and Mike Senior/Nic Booth to push forward. Bradburn & Evans held the lead ahead of Hydon & Pepperdine who narrowly beat Senior/Booth.

The final race was underway with Pete Gray & Rachel Rhodes leading from start to finish. Jonathan Woodward & Karen Alexander were second, but disappear down the fleet after a catalogue of incidents! This allowed Watson & Hunter through followed by Hydon & Pepperdine. White & Warburton managed a left hand flyer that gave them third over the line ahead of Hydon & Pepperdine.

Thanks to South Staffs for putting a great event.

South Staffs Results:

1st Stuart Hydon and Rich Pepperdine (Shustoke/Staunton Harold SC)
2nd Ed Badburn and Lucy Evans (South Staffs SC)
3rd Sam Watson and Andrew Hunter (South Staffs SC)
4th Pete Gray and Rachel Rhodes (Staunton Harold SC)
5th Steve Cumley and Lucy Evans (Bartley SC)

More photos available on the Lark class Facebook page.