Osprey Scottish & Northern Championships at Kielder Water Sailing Club

Early morning sun at Kielder © Alan Henderson / www.fotoboat.com

Kielder Water SC hosted a very competitive Osprey Scottish & Northern Championships, on September 6/7.

On a very warm weekend, competitors were in danger of overheating, and two overexcited boats went for early starts in the first race. But Alec Mamwell and Arthur Butler kept cool to sail into a commanding lead by the end of the first, short beat in Easterly breezes. Despite the wind's ups and downs and shifts Mamwell/ Butler sailed on to win comfortably, pursued by Viola and Mike Scott, with one of the early starters, Mark Weston and Tim Keighley, catching up to take third.

The second race was also sailed in light breezes, but this time it was Rob Shaw and Ian Little who popped out in front after a multi boat pile up at the final leeward mark as winds dropped further. Alan Henderson and Alastair Barrie were next to extricate themselves to take second, with Alec Mamwell and Arthur Butler continuing their good form to finish third. The wind then departed completely, making a third race impossible. Mamwell and Butler led overnight, but Mamwell's enthusiastic participation in an overnight tasting session of the event sponsor Great Heck's extensive range of beers may have proved his undoing, as his excellent form mysteriously disappeared the following day.

Other sailors then took their chance to shine at the front on three back to back races on the Sunday. Winds were still patchy, but hitting medium strength at times to give a good mix of conditions over the weekend. Mark Weston/ Tim Keighley and Paul Heather/ Jonathan Osgood joined battle at the front with Shaw/ Little and Henderson/ Barrie. In the first race Henderson/ Barrie took the lead after a close encounter with Weston/ Keighley, both parties just avoiding collision, and sailed on to win. Shaw/ Little took advantage to pass a waterlogged Weston/ Keighley, and take second place, with Weston holding onto third.

Alan Henderson and Alastair Barrie, winners in the Osprey fleet during the Kielder Water September Open - photo © Judy Scullion

In the second race, Henderson/ Barrie took a good lead, but had to hang on grimly as new winds appeared on both reaches. Paul Heather/ Jonathan Osgood pressed them hard, and took second place with Shaw/ Little third.

For the final and deciding race, it was back to a longer course of two triangles and sausages as the best wind of the weekend came in. Heather and Osgood were again on fire, leading for much of the way before Weston/ Keighley and Henderson/ Barrie took turns at the lead. Henderson took the race with Weston second and Heather third.

It was a weekend of really close competition, and all of the top six teams included either a win or a second place among their scores. Overall the Championship went to Henderson/ Barrie, with Shaw/ Little second and Weston/ Keighley third.

The Championship was part of the Osprey Lakes and Borders series, and of the class's national Wilkinson Sword (WS) traveller series. A second place at Kielder hoists Shaw/ Little into a good lead in the WS series, while Henderson/ Barrie lead the Lakes and Borders series.

There is just one event to go in both series, at Bassenthwaite for the Lakes & Borders series on October 18/19, and at Rutland where the class's End of Season Championship is the final WS series event, on November 1/ 2.

Overall Results: