Solo North West Travellers at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club

On the 28th September 2014 Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club hosted their annual Solo open meeting at Pennington Flash. This event forms part of the North West travellers' series. The 34 helms who attended were greeted by an overcast sky and a mill pond that was the Flash.

After a 10.30am briefing there was much muttering about whether it was worth taking the covers off the boats as shortly before the scheduled 11am start time the postponement flag was hoisted ashore. The race team then took to the water to find wind and, after 45 minutes, a slight easterly breeze filled in, the committee boat was anchored, a start line and short course were set and the fleet launched.

The breeze stayed as the postponement flag came down and we went into the start sequence. The breeze was still there when the fleet headed off up the beat and Steve Owen (Port Dinorwic SC) came off the line fastest and headed the fleet to the windward mark. He was closely followed by Andy Friar (RYA), Steve Dennison (HLSC) and Lee Tennant (Burwain SC) with several others close by. As the fleet approached the leeward mark the wind filled in from behind and there was bunching and shouts for water but thankfully no bumps. The leading boats, with Owen still in front, managed to maintain clear air and now drifted up the beat as what little wind there was shifted around, as did the positions.

Michael Simms (Carsington SC) had moved through the fleet to challenge Owen and Friar as had Oliver Dumbelton (Natwich & Borders SC) It was a long downwind leg to the finish in drifting like conditions and there was plenty of roll gybing to be seen by all as the fleet began to spread out across the water. In the end Friar managed to get his nose in front to take the win followed by Simms in second, Tennant third and Dennison fourth.

As the fleet came ashore a good two thirds of the fleet didn't stop at the foreshore and carried on dragging their boats up to the car park where their road trailers and covers lay. Once packed away they came back for lunch as 11 'keen' sailors launched for what they thought would be race 2. The wind had totally died off and after almost 45 minutes afloat, with the PRO unable to lay a line or set a course, those afloat all agreed to call it a day and drifted back to shore.

With the Notice of Racing stating that 1 race is required to constitute a series so it was that Andy Friar was the winner with Simms as runner up.

Overall Results: (top five)

1st Andy Friar (RYA)
2nd Michael Simms (Carsington SC)
3rd Lee Tennant (Burwain SC)
4th Steve Dennison (Hollingworth Lake SC)
5th Oliver Dumbelton (Nantwich & Borders SC)

1st lady: Lynda Howarth (Ethrow Park SC) (10th overall)
1st senior: Steve Owen (Y-Fellinheli SC) (6th overall)

Full results can be found via www.llsc.org.uk/1/LLSC/Results/index.htm and looking under 'Opens'.