Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club Revett Series - Day 4
by Paul Heath 8 Dec 2016 12:41 GMT
4 December 2016
At long last this weekend, the penultimate one of Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club's Revett series, saw wind. As the 45 boats launched in the bright sunshine there was a noticeable chill in the air bought by the solid Force 4 easterly breeze that was blowing for the start of the first race of the day.
Lasers
The Lasers were the largest fleet of the day with 12 boats battling it out. After a long beat first around the windward mark, by a distance, was Glyn Purnell (LLSC) followed by Oliver Blackburn (LLSC – Radial), Haydn Griffiths (LLSC) and Paul Heath (LLSC) These four pulled away from the rest of the fleet on the downwind legs and thus began a battle between Purnell, Griffiths and Heath as, over the 3 laps they swapped the lead between themselves.
Eventually Heath managed to squeeze ahead and crossed the line first with Purnell second and Griffiths third. Never far behind was Blackburn who, when the handicaps were worked out, finished level second with Purnell relegating Griffiths down to fourth.
Handicap
In the 10 boat handicap fleet the long reaching offwind legs suited the RS Aero 7 of Gareth Williams (LLSC) as he did a horizon job over the rest of the fleet to take the win. Second home was the Albacore of series leader Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC) with Alan Johnson/crew (Southport SC) in their Enterprise in third.
Asymmetric
It was a windward /leeward course for the 10 boats in the Asymmetric fleet which this week consisted of 9 RS400s and a Devoti D-One.
New to the series was Paul Brotherton/Josh Moran (Glossop SC) in their bargain bucket RS400 and they stormed off into the lead never to be headed to take a comfortable win. It was close behind them as Paul/Jude Allen (LLSC) and Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC) battled it out in their RS400s. In the end the Allens had to settle for third while Mike Allen (Bala SC), in his beast of a D-One, sailed well to finish fourth.
Solo
In the 6 boat fleet Nik James (LLSC) showed that all the practice is paying off as he scored his best result in the series to take the win. Malcolm Waddington (LLSC) was second and Chris Helsby (LLSC) third.
Junior
With the series already won, and the winner away elsewhere, there is still a battle to be had for the second down to fourth place overall. For the first time in the series two RS Feva XLs took to the water and both had a blast to take the top two spots with Ewen Wilson/crew (Wormit BC) beating Harvey Leigh/Archie Leckie (LLSC) by 15 seconds. Third, with an ever improving performance, was Daniel Wellbourn Hesp (Carsington SC – Laser 4.7).
After another fabulous lunch served up by Ann & Helen in our world famous galley we all went out and did it again and thankfully the breeze was the same strength and direction as before. Again the Asymmetrics sailed a windward/leeward while the course was tweaked for the other fleets to give a width long reach and then a long run down to the leeward mark.
Laser
Purnell flew up the first beat and approached the windward mark on port. Mike Baldwin (LLSC) and Heath were approaching on starboard and it was then it all went wrong for Purnell. A collision and rafting up of the three boats allowed Griffiths to sneak through to take the lead.
After extricating themselves from the mess, and leaving Purnell to get dizzy, Baldwin and Heath set off after Griffiths. Both caught up with him on the long downwind leg and Heath managed to squeeze inside at the leeward mark to take the lead from Griffiths followed by Baldwin. Once again, up the long beat, the lead changed hands as by the windward mark Griffiths had passed Heath with Baldwin close behind. Heath once again passed Griffiths on the run and from then on kept a close eye on him for another lap to take another win. Griffiths crossed the line in second but dropped back to third overall as Blackburn sailed his radial to second. Fourth was Howard Green.
Handicap
Same three boats in the top three in this race but just in a different order.
Banner/Cuthbert took the win from Johnson in second and Williams third.
Asymmetric
The Allens hit the front and stayed there but the best race was going on in second and third place between the RS400s of Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (WRSC) and Stuart Halman/Anna Walsh (LLSC).
Halman/Walsh sailed past Gledhill/Dowse on the second beat but the competition was closing in fast on the long tricky downwind leg. After 3 laps it was the Allens who took the win on handicap from Mike Allen in second, Catchpole/Coop in third and, after rudder issues that at one point put them well down the fleet, Brotherton/Moran recovered to finish fourth.
Solo
Like the handicap fleet, the same top three boats but in different positions.
Helsby won this one with James in second and Waddington having to settle for third.
Junior
Wilson took another win with Wellbourn Hesp up to second. Third was the Laser Radial of Tom Brindley (Redesmere SC).
This Sunday sees the final two races in the Revett series. There is still plenty of chances in all fleets to improve your overall position and get in the chocolates.
Remember that after a short break we are back sailing with the New Years Day pursuit race which is then followed by the start of the Tipsy Icicle series which runs through to the 19th March.
A special thanks to Gerard van Den Hoek for allowing us to use his photographs for publicity purposes and show the world what we do. If you would like a copy of a particular photograph please speak with Gerard and, for a small donation to the guide dogs, he will sort you out.
Entry to these events, and further information on them, can be made/viewed via webcollect.org.uk/llsc/event/winter-2016-2017
Revett results to date at www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2016/Revett.htm