Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club Tipsy Icicle Series 2017 – Day 7

After last Sunday's big breeze this week saw a return to the light stuff. The 49 starters in the first race of the day had to make do with a westerly breeze that averaged at 4 knots with the occasional 8 knot gust although there were times when it all but disappeared.

Lasers

Early in the race it was a close contest between four boats but Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) pulled away before the light stuff came but on the final last downwind legs he was caught by Gary Knott (Ogston SC) These two were neck and neck all the way around the last lap but Hamilton managed to take the win by less than half a boat length. Third boat home was Graham McWhirter (UKLA) with Ty Burrows (LLSC) fourth.

Handicap & Solo

Series leaders Sam/Mark Platt (Bolton SC) got back in the grove and took the race win from the Streaker of Steve Blackburn (WLYC) Third went to Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC) in the Albacore and fourth, with his best result of the series to date, went to Paul Moreton (Llandudno SC) in his Supernova.

Martin Honnor (Ogston SC) returned to the Solo fleet and went on to take the race win from Brian Sprague (LLSC) in second and Alan Catto (LLSC) third.

Asymmetrics

A windward/leeward course for the fleet once again. A general recall saw the fleet start under the black flag and they managed to get away at the second time of asking without any casualties.

Chris Pickles did as his wife asked and got the boat off his driveway and onto the water. He and Matt Sharman (Delph SC) then sailed away from the fleet to take a big lead and the win. It was close behind him as Dave Exley/Jo Hartigan (LLSC), Paul/Jude Allen (LLSC) and Bill Kenyon/Mark Lunn (Budworth SC) fought it out to finish in that order.

Juniors

With events and training elsewhere there were only two boats for the first race in the fleet. Ben/Dan Latham (LLSC) sailed their 420 to the win from the RS Tera Sport of John Bridgman (LLSC).

After lunch the fleet launched again in a breeze that averaged 6 knots with a gust of 10 knots recorded.

Lasers

Hamilton took the lead closely followed by McWhirter, Knott, Haydn Griffiths (LLSC) and Paul Heath (LLSC).

On the downwind leg of the second lap the breeze dropped and then filled in from behind causing the whole fleet to bunch up just before the gybe mark. Knott managed to get around first, and in breeze, to sail away from the fleet. Heath was now second, Hamilton third and Griffiths fourth.

On the final lap the fleet split tacks and Knott and Heath found themselves in breeze while the others didn't. It was close at the end but Knott did enough to take the win from Heath with McWhirter third and Hamilton having to settle for fourth.

Handicap & Solo

The Platts took another race win and stay at the top of the leader board. Blackburn scored another second and is now second in the series. Third and fourth went to the Phantoms of Martin Knott (Ribble SC) and Chris Bows (LLSC)

Another win for Honnor allowed him to leapfrog Sprague and he now leads the series. Second in the race went to Dave Fraser (Budworth SC) with Sprague third.

Asymmetrics

Three windward mark roundings in this race and these occasions there was a different RS400 in the lead starting with Stuart Halman/Anna Walsh (LLSC) then Kenyon/Lunn and finally Pickles/Sharman who then held the lead to the finish to take their second win of the day.

Exley/Hartigan were looking good for second until they decided to tack as they rounded the leeward mark for the final time. This they did right in front of Kenyon/Lunn resulting in a collision and a penalty. In the confusion series leaders Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC – RS400) snuck through to take second, Kenyon/Lunn third and a dizzy Exley/Hartigan fourth.

Juniors

Only three boats started this time. The Lathams had to settle for second in this one as the 29er of Brandon Banner/Marcus Howard (LLSC) took the win with Rachel McClusky (LLSC – Topper) third.

Results to date can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2017/Tipsy.htm?v=1