Enterprise Open at Frampton-on-Severn Sailing Club

Enterprises at Frampton on Severn © Ken Elsey

Enterprises at Frampton on Severn © Ken Elsey

Two visitors from BCYC joined 5 home boats for the annual Enterprise Open Meeting, on Sunday 11th October, held in conjunction with the Byte CII and Mirror Opens. The format of the event was 2 short back-to-back races in the morning, followed by lunch then a further 2 brisk back-to-back races in the afternoon.

The morning breeze was a light & shifty northerly F1-2 which created challenges for competitors and the race team alike. As the day wore on it became apparent that the event was more akin to an aquatic version of "snakes & ladders" with the key being to not necessarily find the ladders but to definitely avoid the many snakes across the course.

In Race 1, last year's winners Andy & Rowan Smith from the home club shot out off the middle of the line, took a couple of handy shifts and led at the windward mark by 50 metres or so, followed by Phil Kirk crewed by 10 year-old Harry Palmer and Geoff Coxe and Sue Beynon, both also from FoSSC. Andy & Rowan stretched out a healthy lead from Phil & Harry who maintained 2nd place to the finish of the shortened 3-lap race with the veteran team of David Marsden & Steve Higgs enjoying the conditions to take 3rd place.

Ian Wakeling & Sean O'Neil from BCYC made the best of the start and first beat in Race 2 to lead narrowly from Andy & Rowan and David & Steve, with the rest of the pack not far behind. Andy & Rowan gained an inside overlap at the gybe mark to take the lead which they gradually extended over the next couple of laps. David & Steve found the right groove on the 2nd beat to take 2nd place whilst Ian & Sean found a snake or 2 but held on to 3rd.

During the lunch break, the wind backed to the north-east and became slightly stronger, although with more holes and necessitated a change of course.

Andy & Rowan again took an early lead in Race 3, with Phil & Harry safely in 2nd. On the 3rd lap, Phil & Harry found a good “ladder” on the run to close right up to the Smiths then found their second ladder on the subsequent beat, finding more pressure to sail through the Smiths into the lead. Phil & Harry held on to their lead to the shortened finish with the Smiths maintaining 2nd and David & Steve 3rd.

This set up a last race finale, with Phil & Harry needing to win to secure victory overall. They took the start and led narrowly at the windward mark from the Smiths. On the first run however, Phil & Harry found a “snake” and sailed into a hole. The Smiths held their nerve and ghosted past to windward, got into the new breeze first and secured the lead. Over the next lap they consolidated a healthy lead and Phil found yet another snake on the run of the 2nd lap allowing Ian & Sean, Geoff & Sue and David & Steve to pass in new breeze. Andy & Rowan stretched their lead for a comfortable finish to take the meeting overall, with both Ian & Sean and Geoff & Sue getting their best results of the day in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Phil & Harry recovered to take 4th place.

At the prize giving, the visiting sailors thanked OOD Ken Elsey and his team for the good courses and Neal Palmer and Chris Latham were also thanked for their efforts in the Galley during the course of the day. Everyone agreed that the multi fleet event had worked well and looked forward to repeating the format next year.

Overall Results: