Lark Masters Championships at Hayling Island Sailing Club
by Nigel Hufton 19 Oct 2015 10:45 BST
17 October 2015
A small but perfectly formed fleet visited Hayling Island SC for the Lark Masters on 17 October.
The weather started sunny and racing was held in a northerly force 3-4 at high tide on Pilsey Sand. Race officer (and sometime Lark sailor) Greg Wells set some excellent courses.
Before Race 1, the fleet assembled at the start line for a 1 minute silence in memory of Ruth Lennox, a top crew in the Lark fleet in the 1980s/90s.
Some excellent nip and tuck racing ensured with places changing. With the northerly wind swinging slowly, knowing the numbers and judging which phase the wind was in was crucial.
In Race 1, Nigel Hufton and Adam Owens got into the lead in Race 1 and never looked back, followed in by Steve Cumley and Eluned Jones.
In Race 2, Chris Ellis and Rory Burdock led around the first mark, with Hufton/Owens down in fifth, but the latter played the shifts best to pick their way through the fleet and eventually go on to win, followed this time by Nigel Scott and Will Kennedy.
With the event won, Hufton/Owens could have sat out the last race, but the taste of victory was too tempting and they again got through to win the last race to post a clean scoreline in this, Nigel's first ever Masters win.
The traditional Black Tie dinner then followed. Thanks go to Hayling Island for again providing their superb venue.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 2470 | Nigel Hufton | Adam Owens | Frensham Pond SC | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 2nd | 2496 | Steve Cumley | Eluned Jones | | 2 | ‑3 | 2 | 4 |
| 3rd | 2347 | Nigel Scott | Will Kennedy | Cotsworld SC | ‑3 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
| 4th | 2502 | Steve Chatten | Fiona Grey | | (DNF) | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 5th | 2469 | Oliver Brown | Geroge Bridges | Frensham Pond SC | 4 | 5 | (DNF) | 9 |
| 6th | 2530 | Chris Ellis | Rory Burdock | Frensham Pond SC | (DNF) | DNF | 5 | 12 |