Tipsy Icicle Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Week 3
by Paul Heath 20 Jan 2016 19:51 GMT
17 January 2016
It had been so good for so long but winter finally descended on the North West of England this weekend for week 3 of the Leigh & Lowton sailing club Tipsy Icicle series. Competitors arrived to find plenty of snow on the ground, frozen boat covers and sheets, a near freezing air temperature and a light south easterly breeze blowing across the water. The galley was busy supplying sailors with containers full of boiling water to aid in defrosting their sheets and once done 62 boats went afloat in a 6 knot breeze.
In the 18 strong Laser fleet there was a general recall so the black flag was flown for the restart. Two boats were caught over the line within the final minute but too many to count were over for the start so another general recall was sounded and the black flag was again raised. At the third attempt the fleet got away with only one more casualty as they sailed away into a patchy first beat. Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) continued from where he left off last week by taking his third race win in a row. It was close behind him but Haydn Griffiths (LLSC) managed to hold onto second place from Graham McWhirter (UKLA) and Tom Keegan (PUSC) fourth.
The 23 boats in the handicap fleet, which included 12 Solos, were also treated to a general recall but got away under the black flag at the second attempt with only one boat being caught out. The early running was made by the Albacore of Mike Banner/Martin Cooper (LLSC/WLYC) as they powered up the beat and pulled out a big lead but in the end it was the Supernova of Andy Flitcroft (Bolton SC) that took the win on handicap. Third, and relishing the long kite flying downwind leg, were Mark/Sam Platt (Bolton SC) in their GP14 while fourth was Graeme Bristow (LLSC) sailing for the first time his new (to him) Streaker.
In the Solo fleet there was early close racing between Alex Taylor (Budworth SC), Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) and Paul Heath (LLSC) Hamilton and Heath managed to pull away and then spent the rest of the race taking turns in the lead until Heath finally pulled through and held off a late challenge to take the win. Behind them, Taylor was third and Malcolm Waddington (LLSC) fourth.
The 12 boat Asymmetric fleet had a recall and the offending boat, series leaders Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (WRYC) didn't go back so were scored OCS. The RS400s of Chris Pickles/Matt Sharman (Delph SC) and Dave Exley/Mark Atherton (LLSC) made the early running to cross the line first but never too far behind, and taking the win on handicap, was the RS100 10.2 of housewives favourite Greg Booth (PDSC) The RS400s dropped another place as second on handicap was the RS200 of Gareth/Jen Williams (LLSC) leaving Pickles/Sharman third and Exley/Atherton fourth.
With the Optimists away at winter training there were only 9 boats in the junior fleet but they showed the adults how to behave as they got away first time. It was Toppers that took three of the top four places with Lorcan Knowles (LLSC) holding off Sam Cooper (WLYC) to take the win. Brandon Banner (LLSC) finished just behind them however the RS Feva XL of Eddie/Kevin Farrell (Llandudno SC) squeezed Banner down into fourth.
As the fleet went afloat for the second race the wind was still at 6 knots with the occasional 10 knot gust.
Hopkins took another win in the Laser fleet. Oliver Davenport (Redesmere SC) made up for being black flagged in the first race to score a second, Griffiths was third and another victim of the first race black flag, Greg Marshall (WLYC), was fourth.
The handicap fleet saw the Albacore shoot off again and this time it took first place. Flitcroft was greeted to the sound of silence at the end due to being OCS at the start so the Platts in their GP14 took second place. Bristow went one better to take third while Mark Dingsdale (LLSC – Phantom) made up for his earlier black flag to take fourth.
In the Solos Heath sailed off to take another win. Hamilton won his close battle with Waddington to take another second leaving Brian Sprague (LLSC) in fourth.
It was the same top four in the junior fleet the only difference being that Banner managed to sail fast enough to claim third relegating the Farrells to fourth.
Last away it was the Asymmetrics and this time Pickles/Sharman sailed far enough away from the rest of the fleet to claim the race on handicap. Booth had to settle for second in this one but that was enough to put him at the top of the leader board for a week. Gareth/Jen Williams were third and the other RS200 of Matt/Millie Bromley (LLSC) were fourth.
The forecast for this coming weekend is looking good with no snow or ice forecast due to unseasonably high temperatures and breeze! There is a long way to go yet and you can still qualify so join us this coming Sunday, 24th January for races 7 & 8 in the Tipsy Icicle series. It's a midday start and full details on how to enter the series online via webcollect can be found on the club website, webcollect.org.uk/llsc/category/event. You can also enter on the day at the reception desk. We look forward to seeing you.
Full results can be found on www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2016/Tipsy.htm and photographs can be found on the clubs Facebook page, www.facebook.com/LeighLowtonSc.