Solo open meeting at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club
by Oliver Whitehead & Graham Knox 2 Sep 2014 15:20 BST
31 August 2014
Solo open meeting at Hollingworth Lake © Graham Knox
32 Solos, including 16 visitors, arrived at Hollingworth Lake to bright sunshine and a variable westerly breeze which was forecast to ease as the day wore on. As a consequence, it was decided to sail the first two races back-to-back in the best of the breeze.
The first race got away at the third attempt after PRO Nick Brook hoisted the black flag. The leader for much of the race was Oliver Dumbleton until, on the final lap, he mistook the penultimate rounding mark losing his lead to Steve Denison. Steve Graham sailed steadily for third place, followed by Andy Friar. These then were the likely contenders for the event.
The second race was started under the black flag again with one boat (Innes Armstrong) sent home. Andy Friar and Steve Denison sailed off into a considerable lead unchallenged. Behind there were seven or eight boats jostling for improved places. On a long run, two boats broke away into clear air. This gave Chris Brown and Oliver Whitehead the chance to pull up into third and fourth places respectively.
After a well-enjoyed lunch, the third race got away with another black flag start. Despite attempts by the PRO to ease the port bias, the shifting wind maintained that bias. The fleet obligingly held on to a starboard line but one boat tacked off a moment early and was sent home. Chris Brown was in control of the race from the first mark. Behind there was much place changing.
Although Paul Heath and Andy Friar maintained their positions to the end, others such as David Winder rose for a while to 4th place but overtaken by Lee Tennant and Innes Armstrong finished 6th. Steve Denison finished the third race in 8th place and was uncertain that he had won the event but his first two race results gave him the close advantage over Chris Brown and Andy Friar.
Overall Results:
Pos | Sail No | Club | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
1 | 5473 | HLSC | S Denison | 1 | 2 | ‑8 | 3 |
2 | 5528 | Draycote SC | C Brown | ‑8 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
3 | 5397 | RYA | A Friar | ‑4 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
4 | 5312 | Leigh & Lowton SC | P Heath | 6 | ‑11 | 2 | 8 |
5 | 5505 | Burwain SC | L Tennant | ‑11 | 5 | 4 | 9 |
6 | 5386 | Burwain SC | S Graham | 3 | ‑7 | 7 | 10 |
7 | 5515 | Sheffield Viking | C Gillard | 5 | 6 | ‑10 | 11 |
8 | 4876 | HLSC | Oliver Whitehead | ‑12 | 4 | 9 | 13 |
9 | 547 | HLSC | D Winder | 7 | ‑8 | 6 | 13 |
10 | 5003 | Nantwich & Border Counties SC | O Dumbelton | 2 | 12 | (OCS) | 14 |
11 | 5518 | Burwain SC | I Armstrong | 9 | (OCS) | 5 | 14 |
12 | 5480 | Nantwich SC | I Hopwood | 10 | 9 | (DNF) | 19 |
13 | 5529 | HLSC | N Hornsby | (DNC) | 10 | 12 | 22 |
14 | 5449 | HLSC | C Robinson | ‑15 | 13 | 11 | 24 |
15 | 5398 | Leigh & Lowton SC | A Fox | 13 | 15 | ‑17 | 28 |
16 | 4723 | Budworth SC | S Hubbard | ‑18 | 16 | 14 | 30 |
17 | 4282 | HLSC | M Smith | 16 | 14 | (DNF) | 30 |
18 | 5166 | HLSC | N Davey | ‑23 | 18 | 13 | 31 |
19 | 3780 | HLSC | R Long | 14 | ‑26 | 19 | 33 |
20 | 5163 | HLSC | D Hughes | 19 | ‑23 | 15 | 34 |
21 | 5360 | West Kirby SC | S Farrington | 17 | 17 | ‑20 | 34 |
22 | 5408 | Ripon SC | Kevin Vials | ‑27 | 19 | 16 | 35 |
23 | 5552 | Leigh & Lowton SC | N Catto | ‑28 | 20 | 18 | 38 |
24 | 5109 | Leigh & Lowton SC | A Catto | ‑24 | 21 | 22 | 43 |
25 | 5016 | Budworth SC | T Garner | 21 | 22 | ‑23 | 43 |
26 | 4474 | HLSC | D Smith | 20 | 25 | (DNS) | 45 |
27 | 4509 | HLSC | G Whitehead | 25 | ‑29 | 21 | 46 |
28 | 4225 | HLSC | R Din | 22 | ‑27 | 26 | 48 |
29 | 487 | HLSC | T Daniels | ‑26 | 24 | 25 | 49 |
30 | 4734 | HLSC | G Booth | ‑29 | 28 | 24 | 52 |
31 | 4278 | HLSC | A Waite | (DNF) | DNC | 27 | 60 |
32 | 3170 | HLSC | A Din | (DNC) | DNS | 28 | 61 |