Revett Winter Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Day 1
by Paul Heath 13 Nov 2014 07:14 GMT
9 November 2014
Day 1 of Leigh & Lowton's Revett Series © Paul Allen
Sunday 9th November saw the first weekend of the 6 weekend, 12 race, Revett Winter Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club, Pennington Flash. The forecast was poor and upon arrival there was a very light breeze from the east which couldn't even raise the flags from the flagpole. As the midday start drew nearer the wind filled in a little to give the three fleets a fluctuating and patchy Force 2 as Team Allen on the committee boat set a course using the full length of the lake and included a windward/leeward course for the Asymmetric fleet.
56 boats took to the water and first away was the 14 strong Laser fleet with a new face amongst them. Having had his 'new' Laser rigged and set up for him by his better half (because he'd never sailed anything without shrouds before) Mark Lunn (LLSC) took to it like a duck to water as he caught and overtook early leader Mike Baldwin (LLSC) and then pulled away to take first place. Baldwin held onto second with Paul Graham (Burwain SC) coming home in third.
Next away was the 12 boat Asymmetric fleet. As usual the RS400's shot off to the front of the fleet but the RS200 of Louise McKeand/Cathy Partington (LLSC) used the few bands of breeze and some very fast downwind speed to good effect as they sailed a steady race to romp home first on handicap. First boat across the line but second on handicap was the RS400 of Caroline Exley/Judith Allen (LLSC) and third on corrected time was the RS100 10.2 of Greg Booth (Port Dinorwic SC)
Last away were the 30 boats that started under the handicap fleet flag (this included 14 Solo and 8 junior boats the results will be abstracted at the end of the series and separate prizes awarded)
Handicap fleet wise it was the X1 of Alex Morrrlson/Steve White (LLSC) who used the boats mega sail area, and the abundance of hot air in the boat, to sail away from the others, pull out a vast lead and take the race on corrected time. Second overall was Steve Blackburn (LLSC) in his Streaker while Gareth Williams (LLSC) in his newly acquired and launched that morning RS Aero came home in third.
In the Solos it was Innes Armstrong (Burwain SC) who took the win from Andy Tunnicliffe (RWYC) in second and his club mate Chris Robinson in third.
In the Topper dominated junior fleet it was the lone Optimist helm of the day, Olivia Cuthbert (LLSC), that showed the Topper sailors how it's done as she took the bullet. Second was the Topper of Lorcan Knowles (LLSC) followed by George Williams (Chester SC) in third.
During lunch the wind completely disappeared and many thought that that was it for the day but the boats went afloat for race 2. After a while a light north easterly breeze filled in and the start line and course were reset but as the race went on the wind began to disappear and the fleets were eventually finished in near drifting conditions.
Mark Lunn carried on his good form and took another first in the Laser. Oliver Blackburn (LLSC) in his Laser radial came home in second and Mike Baldwin had to settle for a third in this race.
In the Asymmetries Exley/Allen went one better and took the win. Due to his helm being unable to sail this weekend Andy Dawson (Budworth SC) borrowed the boat and helmed it to second place (its highest position ever in a winter series race at Leigh & Lowton so who helms when Bill is back?) and he was followed by the RS400 of Gary Knott/Helen Blackburn (LLSC)
The top three places in the second handicap race were identical to the first race.
In the Solos Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) took the win from club mate Armstrong in second. Robinson was a consistent third.
It was the same top two, in the same order, in the junior fleet with the Topper of Brandon Banner (LLSC) slipping into third.
Full results of this series can be found via www.llsc.org.uk/1/LLSC/Results/2014/Revett.htm.
Full details on this series, all of our other winter race programmes, which includes IOCA North Optimist training days and winter championships, plus how to enter on-line at heavily discounted fees (for a limited time only) can be found online at www.llsc.org.uk/1/2014/10/20145-winter-series-preview-not-long-till-the-guy-fawkes-pursuit-revett-series.