Tipsy Icicle Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Week 7
by Paul Heath 17 Feb 2016 20:48 GMT
14 February 2016
A bright sky and cold north easterly 10 knot breeze greeted the 57 boats for races 13 & 14 of the Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club.
Seconds before the 14 boat Laser fleet start there was a wind shift which resulted in a port biased line. At the pin end was Howard Green (LLSC) who took the opportunity to take the early tack and cross the fleet. As the race progressed the wind settled back to its original direction and was up to around 14 knots. The lead 5 boats pulled away but then confusion reigned as they sailed to what they (wrongly) believed was the leeward mark, rounded it and sailed on. Behind them the rest of the fleet got it right and in the end, although crossing the finish line in 6th place, the win went to Garry Knott (Ogston SC) Behind him, and with their best results in the series to date, were George Pulman (Dovestone SC) in second, Paul Graham (Burwain SC) third and Ty Burrows (LLSC) fourth.
There were 20 boats in the handicap fleet which included 11 Solos. Again, the port end was the place to be and the Enterprise of Alan Johnson/Kaye Tickle (Southport SC/LLSC) were perfectly placed to tack off early and then power up the beat to round the windward mark first. Behind them series leader Andy Flitcroft (Bolton SC – Supernova) went furthest left, tacked on the port lay-line and came in to round second. Flitcroft then sailed away to take yet another win on handicap with Johnson/Tickle having to settle for second, the Albacore of Mike/Kaye Banner third and Supernova of Michael Platt (Bolton SC) fourth.
In the Solo fleet Paul Heath (LLSC) was at the pin end to take advantage of the slight port bias and went on to take the win. Behind him Steve Ferrington (WKSC) and Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) were engaged in a two lap long battle before Hamilton broke through to come home in second. Just before the end Kim Cant (LLSC) reeled in and passed Ferrington to take third.
After suffering a broken mast last weekend Chris Pickles and Matt Sharman (Delph SC – RS400) returned with a brand new shiny one and kept it upright all day. Of the 12 starters it was an RS400 top four with Pickles/Sharman eventually taking the win but they had to work hard for it as, mid-race, they found themselves mid-fleet. They managed to find that extra bit of breeze and speed to sail through the fleet, and nip in front of Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC) to record yet another win. Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (WRSC) were third and Caroline Exley/Jude Allen (LLSC) fourth.
11 boats in the junior fleet this week and the first race was dominated by the Toppers. With series leader Sam Cooper absent Lorcan Knowles (LLSC) returned to the series and seized the opportunity to close the gap with him by taking the win. Brandon Banner (LLSC) was second, Rachel McCluskey (LLSC) third and Marcus Howard (Redesmere SC) fourth.
The wind veered to the north and was blowing 8 - 12 knots for the second race of the day but at one point it did drop as low as 5 knots with the wind filling in on various sides of the course.
After two weeks away competing in the SailJuice events (and now sailing the correct course) Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) returned and took the win from Charlotte Greenhalgh (LLSC) in second, Gareth Staples-Jones (LLSC) third and Knott fourth. With that win Hopkins is now the series leader with Knott one point behind him.
It was the same top 4 in the handicap fleet with Flitcroft taking another win and cementing his position at the top of the series table. Platt jumped up to second, the Banners stayed in third and Johnson/Tickle were fourth.
In the Solos it was honours even on the day as Hamilton took the win from Heath in second, Ferrington third and Malcolm Waddington (LLSC) fourth.
Another boat that had been away competing in the SailJuice events was the RS400 of Stuart Halman /Anna Walsh (LLSC) and they stormed into a large early lead in the Asymmetric fleet. In the end they had to settle for second place as, slowly but surely, they were reeled in by Pickles/Sharman. Catchpole/Coop were third while the RS200 of Louise McKeand/Cathy Partington (LLSC) was fourth. Pickles/Sharman currently lead the series by 15 points but there are 5 points between second and fifth place so plenty to race for.
In the junior fleet it was the same top three as before with the same boats finishing in the same positions. Fourth went to the RS Feva XL of Sian Talbot/Eloise Clapson-McBride. With that second race win Knowles now tops the series from Cooper by virtue of discard as both are tied on 12 points each.
Series results to date can be found here.