Saturday Summer Series 2, Laser and Solo Open at Hollowell Sailing Club
by Robin Buxton 23 Jun 2014 17:30 BST
21-22 June 2014
Finding the wind
As the whole of UK basked in the sunshine this weekend, sailors at Hollowell Sailing Club were out once more competing in various events over the weekend.
Day 2 of the Saturday Summer Series saw around 17 boats compete in the two afternoon races. Despite the light winds, racers managed to skilfully manoeuvre their boats around the course. Clearly those with lighter boats and larger sails managed this more easily. However, there was a great deal of effort exerted to "finding the wind", which being Hollowell, chose not to remain in the same place on the subsequent lap! Again those with more skill in this 'black art' or just plain lucky fared best.
The first race was won by young Aaron Holman in his Laser. Being one of the club's rising starts, he was equipped with all the necessary tools to win – an excellent sailor whose combined boat and sailor weight against sail size ratio was optimum. Next was Simon Bickers - Fleet captain of the Laser Fleet; followed by Brian Atkins and Jane Coverdale (who I successfully managed to collide with!) in their RS200.
The second race was even slower than the first. It became a race of two fleets, those up front in their sleek faster boats battling it out, with the tail enders in the slower heavier boats having their own private race. Congratulations again to Mrs Buxton in her Mirror, who on only her second race ever avoided last place, because someone retired.
In the end the second race was won by Maurice Barnes and Aileen O'Connor in their RS400 'rocket', followed by Aaron Holman and Simon Bickers in their Lasers.
On Sunday, Hollowell hosted both the Laser Open Meeting and the Solo Open Meeting.
Again winds were light through the first and second races and picked up only marginally in the third.
In Laser Open Meeting, there were 10 competitors. John Ling from Bartley Sailing Club, who is currently lying first in the Laser Midland Grand Prix Series, won first overall. There are 20 events in this Series with 6 to count. Second was Jamie Luxson from Earlswood Lake and third was Hollowell's Superstar, Aaron Holman.
Prize giving will be held at Staunton Harold Sailing Club in October.
In the Solo Open Meeting, eight competitors battled it out in the light winds. The Solo Midland Travellers Series runs from 1 January to 31 December 2014. With eleven venues and 5 results to count, Hollowell Sailing Club was hosting the 7th in the Series. David Liddington from Rugby and Daventry Sailing Club won first overall. Kevin Hopkins from Midland Sailing Club took second and Hollowell's Solo Fleet Captain took third place. An additional prize was awarded to Hollowell's Simon Deeks for being the first Solo under sail number 4000.
Next week, there will be Sprint Racing on the Saturday, followed by Day 3 of the Sunday Summer Series.