Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Week 5
by Paul Heath 4 Feb 2015 13:44 GMT
1 February 2015
With a week-long forecast of a clear sky, frost and a strong bitterly cold wind for Sunday competitors who arrived for races 8 & 9 in the 'Crewsaver' Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club were not disappointed as they were greeted by a clear blue sky and a chilly 18 knot north westerly breeze blowing down the Flash and, for the first time in weeks PRO Peter Baldwins 'AP' pennant was nowhere to be seen as 61 boats hit the water on time for the midday start.
As per the norm the first fleet away was the 14 strong Laser fleet. Greg Marshall (WLYC) decided to re-sheet his boat but ran out of time as the fleet started without him. He started about 2 minutes after the rest but had the bit between his teeth and powered through to take the win. Behind him it was close racing in the gusty breeze and a few succumbed to the odd capsize. In the end Mike Baldwin (LLSC) held onto second place from Paul Graham (Burwain) in third and Graham McWhirter (UKLA) fourth.
Second away was the ever eager 20 boat handicap fleet which included 9 Solos (the results of which are taken separately) Returning to the series after a week off was Alex Collins (LLSC – Supernova) who sailed a perfect first beat and was off like a shot, especially on the long gusty downwind legs, to take the win on handicap. Behind him, and proving it was Supernova weather, was another Supernova, Peter Mackin (Bolton SC), who came home in second. Behind them Gareth Williams (LLSC – RS aero 7) was third and Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC – Albacore) fourth. Mention should be made of the super strong X1 crew Steve White who, when asked to pull a bit more cunningham on, managed to snap the main halyard, down came the sail and thus ended their race.
In the 9 boat Solo fleet there was close early racing at the front between Innes Armstrong, Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) and Paul Heath (LLSC) with Armstrong taking an early. The trick was to avoid the blanketing effect from the fleets behind and Heath struck lucky to avoid this, managed to get his nose in front and took the win. Hamilton was second, Tony Sampson (SCYC) third and Steve Ferrington (West Kirby SC) fourth.
Next away were the 11 boat Asymmetric fleet once who again, due to the wind direction, had to sail 'around the cans' but made up for this with some fast tight reaches. After a poor start series leaders Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (WRSC – RS400) powered through to take the win on corrected time from Paul Allen/Geoff Edwards (LLSC – RS400) in second, Caroline Exley/Ben Kirk (LLSC – RS400) third and Louise McKeand/Cathy Partington (LLSC – RS200) in fourth.
In the first race of the 16 boat junior fleet the top three places were dominated by the Toppers. After close racing the winner was Samuel Cooper (WLYC), George Graham (Burwain) second and Rachel McCluskey (LLSC) third while flying the flag for the Optimist sailors was Sian Talbot (LLSC)
During lunch the wind stayed the same but as the fleet launched it began to drop slightly giving an average wind speed of 11 knots during race 2 with an occasional 18 knot gusts.
In the Laser fleet it was McWhirter that took the win from Marshall second. Howard Green (LLSC) managed to avoid wrapping his mainsheet around his head in this race to finish third while the Radial rig of Glyn Purnell (LLSC) came home in fourth.
In the handicap fleet it was the same one, two as the first race as the Supernovas bossed the day. With their main halyard now fixed, and sailing with suspiciously less cunningham tension, the X1 of Alex Morrison/Steve White (LLSC) finished third while Banner/Atherton scored another fourth place finish.
In the Solos Hamilton and Heath sailed clear from the rest of the fleet and engaged in a close tactical battle from start to finish which ended when Hamilton beat Heath on the finish line by half a boat length. Behind them there was a reversal to the previous races positions as Ferrington beat Sampson into fourth.
The Asymmetric fleet was heading for what looked like another RS400 one and two until, during a gusty gybe towards the end of the race, the wing wang line on Allen/Edwards RS400 snapped while leading. This allowed Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (RS400 – LLSC) to regain the lead they had just lost to Allen/Edwards and eventually cross the line in first place. In the end however they had to settle for second overall as the eventual winner on corrected time, after a fantastic 'Battle of the 200's' were Matt/Andrea Bromley (LLSC) In third and fourth, chasing the Bromleys hard, were the other RS200 crews of Jon Chapman/Wendy Martin (Budworth SC) and McKeand/Partington.
It was 'Revenge of the Optimists' in the junior fleet as this time they took the top three places and left Cooper in his Topper in fourth. First home, and recording her first win in the series, was Sian Talbot, second was the improving Jonny Latham (LLSC) and third Olivia Cuthbert (LLSC)
With 7 new entries to the series this weekend it means that the total number of boats we have had on the water and crossing the start line during the 'Crewsaver' Tipsy Icicle series is 128 so far.
The 'Crewsaver' Tipsy Icicle runs until the 15th March. First race starts at midday and full details on how to enter are on the club website or pay per day at the reception desk. Come and join us this coming Sunday for races 10 & 11 in the series we look forward to seeing you.
Full results and more photos can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/1/LLSC/Results/2015/Tipsy.htm
www.llsc.org.uk