Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club Tipsy Icicle Series 2017 – Day 4
by Paul Heath 5 Feb 2017 17:42 GMT
4 February 2017
Once again competitors arrived to find no wind and, due to an overnight freeze resulting in parts of the Flash being covered with a thin layer of ice, it looked like there was not going to be any racing today. As the midday start time drew closer a 1 hour postponement was posted during which time a combination of an increase in temperature, two safety boats out breaking up the ice and the arrival of a light 3 knot breeze allowed the Race Officer to get afloat and set a course. While 40 boats went for it a fair few others crews decided to give it a miss.
Laser
It was a long slow beat but first at the windward was Gary Knott (Ogston SC) leading from Howard Green (LLSC) and Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) As they drifted along Hopkins came through to take the lead and eventually the win with Knott in second. Green was overhauled by Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) who took third.
Handicap/Solo
Series leaders Sam/Mark Platt (Bolton SC) steered their GP14 to yet another race win and are looking comfortable at the top. Behind them it's very close at the moment with 2 points separating second and fourth place. Steve Blackburn (WLYC – Streaker) came home in second and Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC – Albacore) were third.
In the Solos it was a LLSC 1,2,3 as Malcom Waddington (LLSC) took the win to take him closer to second in the series Brian Sprague, who could only manage a third, while Dave Kelsall sailed well to come home in second place.
Asymmetric
With only five boats on the water this week it was a good day to grab two low scoring 'to count' points. In this race the top three places were taken by boats from three different classes.
Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC – RS400) took the win from new to the series Greg Booth (Port Dinorwic SC) in his RS100 10.2 leaving Greg Marshall/Steph Gray (WLYC) in their RS200 in third. Caroline Exley/Joe Hartigan (LLSC – RS400) were fourth.
Junior
Series leader Lorcan Knowles (LLSC – Topper) had to settle for second place in this race as Ben/Dan Latham (LLSC) sailed their 420 into the lead and took the win while Brandon Banner (LLSC – Topper) was third.
After lunch the fleet launched in a now giddy 4.5 knots of wind.
Laser
It was the same windward mark rounding order as last time and as the race progressed Green managed to hit the front. All was looking good until the final leeward mark when Hopkins managed to manoeuvre himself into the inside boat position to push both Green and Knott out. After a short beat to the finish Hopkins took the win while Green and Knott had a cover tacking battle which was won by Green leaving him second and Knott third.
Handicap/Solo
The Platts could only manage second in this one as Martin Knott (Ribble SC) in his Phantom improved on his first race position to take the win and now lies in second overall. Blackburn was third in the race and lies third in the series.
Steve Ferrington (West Kirby KSC) took the win in the Solo fleet. Sprague improved with a second and Stuart van Den Hoek (LLSC) was third.
Asymmetric
It was the same top four in this race as in the last but only the RS200 of Marshall/Gray scored the same result.
Exley/Hartigan pulled out a big lead to take the race win while Catchpole/Coop had to make do with a second but this does take them top of the series. Booth was fourth.
Junior
Same top three but in a different order in this fleet.
Knowles was back to his winning ways while Banner took second and the Lathams third.
Results to date can be viewed via: www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2017/Tipsy.htm?v=1