Osprey Open at Poole Yacht Club

Martin Cooney & Peter Frith win the Poole Osprey open © Mike Rice / www.fotoboat.com

At the Osprey open at Poole on May 31/June 1, eight visitors joined a dozen Poole boats making a strong fleet of twenty boats. The event was part of the Osprey national Wilkinson Sword series of traveller events.

While awaiting the arrival of the wind, sailmaker Tim Rush demonstrated boat set ups ashore to entertain the sailors.

In the first race, in trapezing breezes, Phil Angrave and Pete Smith in Yabba Dabba Do led round the windward mark, followed by Martin Cooney and Peter Frith in Swiftwun. These two battled it out all race, finishing as they started – one boat length apart, though the real fun was taking place a little further back with everyone closely packed.

In race 2, Cooney and Frith were stopped in their tracks just before the start sending them backwards as the gun went, so started at the back of the pack. Coming into the final run of the race, Tim Rush and Chris Butters were leading from Richard Marshall and Peter Greig, with Cooney and Frith up to a close 3rd. But a collision between Richard Marshall and Tim Rush led to both doing turns, and Cooney/ Frith took advantage to win, while Phil Angrave and Peter Smith moved up to second, with Rush/ Butters third.

Sunday also involved a long wait for wind, but when it came in the afternoon, it reached 18 knots. In the only race of the day, Marshall and Greig shot off the line above Cooney/ Frith, accelerating away at an unassailable speed never to be caught. Martin and Peter took 2nd place in the race, to fend off the challenge of Phil Angrave and Peter Smith. Cooney/ Frith took the open meeting, with Angrave/ Smith in second. Martin Lewis and Steve Brown had a good race finishing 3rd.

Generally the racing in the main bulk of the fleet was extremely close with boats finishing seconds apart – just the odd boat got away.

This close racing is sure to be seen again in a month's time, when the Osprey Nationals are held at the pretty Cornish town of Porthpean, from July 19 to 22. Organisers hope to beat last year's total entry of forty boats at the Nationals. Many Osprey sailors have happy memories of the tremendous hospitality at the last Nationals at Porthpean in 2010.

Overall Results:

1. Martin Cooney & Peter Frith, Poole YC, 5pts
2. Phil Angrave & Pete Smith, Poole YC, 8pts
3. Richard Marshall & Mike Greig, Poole YC, 11pts
4. Mick Greenland & Lee Marriott, Isle of Sheppey SC, 16pts
5. Alex & Nick Willis, Hayling Island SC, 22pts