Albacore Northern Championship at West Kirby Sailing Club
by Mike de St Paer 29 Sep 2014 08:41 BST
27-28 September 2014
For the second year running a strong fleet of Albacores turned out for the 2014 Northerns at West Kirby Sailing Club. The first race was run in a very light and shifty westerly, and the six visitors and eighteen local Albacores were led home by local fleet sailor Martin Whittingham-Jones.
After a major wind shift and some slick course resetting, both the following races were won by past winners Judy and Paul Armstrong, the second race in a vanishing wind and strong tide proving particularly challenging, leaving the Armstrongs overnight leaders. Locals Mal Jones and Alex Jardine finished day 1 in 2nd and 3rd respectively..
After a quick look at the Sunday weather forecast - for even less wind - an informal fleet meeting agreed that the Sunday's racing would be on West Kirby's Marine Lake. RO Chris Hoppins squeezed an excellent windward leeward course in, and Judy and Paul put in two more bullets in ultra light and shifty conditions to become well deserved winners, with locals Mal Jones and Mike Hartley 2nd and 3rd.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat Name | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Slightly Ratty | 8209 | Judy Armstrong | Paul Armstrong | Scaling Dam Sailing Club | ‑3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2nd | Helious | 6814 | Mal Jones | Alex Middleton | West Kirby Sailing Club | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | ‑10 | 10 |
| 3rd | Caster & Pollox | 5897 | Mike Hartley | Octavia Owen | West Kirby Sailing Club | 4 | ‑8 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 4th | | LUE | John Greenwood | Katie Greenwood | RYA | ‑9 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 20 |
| 5th | Cyclone | 6815 | Alex Jardine | Steve Jardine | West Kirby Sailing Club | 6 | 2 | 5 | 9 | (OCS) | 22 |
| 6th | | 8080 | Mark Hinton | Joni Gaskin | West Kirby Sailing Club | 5 | 6 | 8 | 7 | ‑11 | 26 |
| 7th | Albaholic | ITE | Phil Smith | Tom Williams | RYA | 8 | 5 | ‑13 | 10 | 4 | 27 |
| 8th | Egret | 8074 | Mike de St Paer | Anne de St Paer | West Kirby Sailing Club | 15 | 9 | (DNF) | 8 | 3 | 35 |
| 9th | SensationAL | 8187 | John Carlin | Rob Graham | West Kirby Sailing Club | 13 | 14 | (DNF) | 5 | 7 | 39 |
| 10th | Too Talls Toy Too | 7991 | Martin Whittingham‑Jnes | Kay Johnson | West Kirby Sailing Club | 1 | 10 | 4 | (DNC) | DNC | 40 |
| 11th | Albinoni | 8186 | Stan van den Berg | Howard Williams | West Kirby Sailing Club | 11 | 4 | ‑21 | 14 | 12 | 41 |
| 12th | Avatar | 8133 | Mike Banner | Craig Hamilton | Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club | ‑19 | 19 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 42 |
| 13th | Lake Safari | 8182 | Thomas Teubner | Ruth Haeckl | West Kirby Sailing Club | 7 | 15 | ‑18 | 11 | 9 | 42 |
| 14th | Vivace | 7404 | Trev Jenkins | Sally Bromilow | West Kirby Sailing Club | 10 | 11 | 7 | 17 | (OCS) | 45 |
| 15th | Bilbo Baggins | 7146 | John Curtis | Joe Quick | West Kirby Sailing Club | ‑23 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 8 | 46 |
| 16th | Sgt Pepper | 7187 | Reece Tomlison | Karen Cummins | West Kirby Sailing Club | ‑17 | 17 | 11 | 12 | 14 | 54 |
| 17th | ANY | 6922 | Jesper Toft | Alex Williams | West Kirby Sailing Club | 18 | 13 | 10 | ‑19 | 16 | 57 |
| 18th | Essex Girl | 7915 | Glen Hughes | Rosie Lyne | West Kirby Sailing Club | 12 | 12 | 16 | 18 | (DNF) | 58 |
| 19th | Blue Jay | 7525 | Ian Simpson | Andy Pearce | Hawley Lake Sailing Club | 14 | 18 | 15 | ‑20 | 13 | 60 |
| 20th | Deemon Days | 7995 | Allen Gregory | Neil Blate | West Kirby Sailing Club | ‑21 | 20 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 65 |
| 21st | Not‑ a‑Lark | 7770 | Henry Hughes | Daniel Lawson | West Kirby Sailing Club | ‑22 | 21 | 17 | 15 | 17 | 70 |
| 22nd | | 7518 | Steve Fleming | Isobel Fleming | West Kirby Sailing Club | 16 | ‑24 | 19 | 21 | 18 | 74 |
| 23rd | Jene | 5110 | Sheena Davies | Julie Dawling | West Kirby Sailing Club | ‑24 | 22 | 20 | 22 | 19 | 83 |
| 24th | It Wasn`t me | 8158 | Mathew Metcalfe‑Smith | Paul Metcalfe‑Smith | Sutton Sailing Club | 20 | 23 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 93 |