Comet Open at Winsford Flash Sailing Club
by Roy Symmers 13 May 2014 08:14 BST
10 May 2014
Seventeen helms including 8 visitors took part in the Winsford Flash Comet Open. The wind was South West, force 5, with a procession of dark clouds giving strong cat's paw gusts on the windward side of the lake. The maximum recorded gust for the day was 33mph. Four contestants elected to use Mino rigs and two Xtra rigs.
17 boats took part in Race 1. After a competitive start the race separated into two distinct fleets. Eddie Pope (Ogsten SC, 804, S) led at the first lap but he was then overhauled by Bob Dodds (Crawley Mariners YC, 869, S) who led him to the end of the race. The next four boats established and retained their positions throughout the race finishing with 3rd Jonathan Latham (Winsford Flash SC, 349, S), 4th Rick Whitehouse (Combs SC, 780, Xtra), 5th Nigel Miller (Winsford Flash SC, 727, S) and 6th John Coppenhall (Hunts SC, 532, S).
15 boats entered Race 2, two retiring after the one lap. Again the race soon split into two fleets the first being led by Jonathan Latham (Winsford Flash SC, 349, S) followed by Chris Robinson (Burghfield SC, 867, S). Chris managed to take the lead in the third lap and finished in 1st place with Jonathan a close 2nd. Eddie Pope (Ogsten SC, 804, S) lay in 6th place after the first lap but improved considerably to finish 3rd. 4th was Rick Whitehouse (Combs SC, 780, Xtra), 5th John Coppenhall (Hunts SC, 532, S) and 6th Peter Mountford (Staunton Harold SC, 864, Xtra).
The first two races were quite strenuous so only 11 boats started the final race. As there was no clear leader after two races much depended on the last race. The first four boats jostled for position throughout the race.
Congratulations to Bob Dodds who was the overall winner and thanks from Winsford Flash SC to all our visitors, several of whom travelled for many hours to be with us thus making the event so competitive and enjoyable. We hope you will all come again next year and don't be put off by the often misleading weather forecasts.
Overall Results:
1st Bob Dodds (Crawley Mariners YC, 869, S)
2nd Chris Robinson (Burghfield SC, 867, S)
3rd Eddie Pope (Ogsten SC, 804, S)
4th Jonathan Latham (Winsford Flash SC, 349, S)
5th Rick Whitehouse (Combs SC, 780, Xtra)
6th Peter Mountford (Staunton Harold SC, 864, Xtra)
7th Nigel Miller (Winsford Flash SC, 727, S)
8th John Coppenhall (Hunts SC, 532, S)