GP14 Open Meeting at Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club

A damp grey start to the GP14 Open Meeting at Leigh-on-Sea © Colin Walke

A damp grey start to the GP14 Open Meeting at Leigh-on-Sea © Colin Walke

Sponsored by Mighty Oak Brewing Co.

A damp grey start to the day greeted the five visiting GPs to Leigh on Sea who with two local boats made a small but competitive fleet. Three races were scheduled to be sailed back to back. The Race Officer and his team set the course for the light westerly breeze.

After a clean start the fleet split and some went out into the tide while others favoured the inshore route to the windward mark hoping for more wind. As the fleet rounded the windward mark the leaders had a small coming together which resulted in penalty turns being required to exonerate the misdemeanours. The race was shortened to one round with Richard Lord taking the win from James Ward and Richard Ham in third.

For race two the race team shortened the beat to allow the fleet to compete two rounds. This time James Ward took the gun with Richard Ham second and Richard Lord third.

With two boats now tied and Richard Hamm only one point behind it was all to sail for in the last race. A very slow start against the tide in a very light wind saw the feet edge slowly to the first mark, Richard Ham found the best of the wind to take a good lead, followed by Richard Lord and James Ward back in forth. On the second beat a wind shift allowed James to move up to third. At the end the positions were three boats tied on 3 points each, following the RYA discards rules and who beat who in the last race sorted out the final placings for the first three boats.

The prize giving followed a barbeque, tea and cakes in the sunshine on the club balcony – a perfect end to a good day on the water.

Overall Results: