Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club Tipsy Icicle Series 2017 – Overall
by Paul Heath 23 Mar 2017 15:15 GMT
19 March 2017
The final weekend of the Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton sailing club and competitors were pleased to find we did not have the big winds forecast that the rest of the country seemed to have to endure. 48 boats took to the water in a south westerly 13 knot breeze with the occasional 22 knot gust.
Lasers
The winner of this fleet, Jack Hopkins (Delph SC) was decided some weeks ago (and this week he was at a Laser qualifying event) but depending how it went the battle for second was close with only a few points between Gary Knott (Ogston SC) Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) and Paul Heath (LLSC)
The fleet got away first time and Knott stamped his authority on the race as he sailed off to a large lead and the win. Heath and Hamilton had an early battle for second with Hamilton coming out on top leaving Bill Busby (LLSC) third and Heath fourth.
Handicap/Junior
Going into the final weekend the top two boats in the handicap fleet were separated by one point however Martin Knott (Ribble SC – Phantom) did not put in an appearance so all leaders Sam/Mark Platt (Bolton SC – GP14) had to do was finish at least one race which they duly did. The course, with its tight reaches, suited the RS Aero 7 of Gareth Williams (LLSC) as he shot off into the lead and the win with the Platts coming home in second. Behind them the Streakers were at it again with Steve Blackburn (WLYC) and Graeme Bristow (LLSC) continuing from where they left off last week with their 'race within a race' In this one Blackburn beat Bristow to take third.
Junior series leaders Ben/Dan Latham (LLSC – 420) were away at the 420 Inlands and the only boat that could overhaul them, the Topper of Lorcan Knowles (LLSC), was away at a Topper national series event.
Their absence allowed some new faces near the front and Jamie Rastrick/Maddy Bristow (LLSC – RS Feva XL) popped up to take first place, Adam Din (Hollingworth Lake SC) second, and Michael du-Plesis (LLSC – Laser 4.7) third.
Solo
Brian Sprague (LLSC) took the win to secure the series. Steve Ferrington (WKSC) was second and Chris Helsby (LLSC) third.
Asymmetric
The RS400s dominated the top four places in both races and Dave Exley/Nigel Hall (LLSC) and Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC) went into this one tied at the top.
Exley/Hall did what they needed to do and kept ahead of Catchpole/Coop to take the win and managed to get another boat, Paul/Jude Allen (LLSC), between them. Fourth home was Bill Kenyon/Mark Lunn (Budworth SC).
After a lunch a few people decided to call it a day so a smaller fleet launched in similar conditions with 12 knots of breeze gusting 21 knots.
Lasers
Knott went and did it again with another convincing win and secured second place in the series. Hamilton was again second and third in the series, Charlotte Greenhalgh (LLSC – Radial) was third and Mike Baldwin (LLSC) fourth.
Handicap/Junior
Same course, same conditions, almost the same top four positions only with a reversal in third and fourth as Bristow managed to pip Blackburn. Overall the Platts won the series with Knott second, Steve Blackburn third and Mike Banner/Mark Atherton (LLSC – Albacore) fourth.
Rastrick/Bristow had another race win. Two boats new to the series took the next two places as Bruno Nicolas (LLSC) in his Optimist was second and Jonny Latham (LLSC) in his Laser 4.7 third. Dimn was fourth. First overall were the Lathams, second was Din and Knowles third.
Solo
Ferrington took the win in this one followed by Stuart van Den Hoek (LLSC) Series winner Sprague was third and Chris Helsby fourth. Ferrington finished second overall and Malcolm Waddington (LLSC) was third.
Asymmetric
The Allens hit the front early on, lost it and got it back again to take the win. It was close behind them as Exley/Hall kept a close eye on Catchpole/Coop and may well have witnessed Catchpoles tiller extension snap and put an end to his challenge. Exley/Hall finished second, Caroline Exley/Joe Hartigan (LLSC) third and Kenyon/Lunn fourth. Overall it was Exley/Hall followed by Catchpole/Coop, the Allens and Kenyon/Lunn.
At the prize giving the overall top three in each fleet were presented with their trophies and presentations were also made to volunteers and catering/bar staff that have once again helped make the Tipsy Icicle series so successful.
This coming weekend sees the club host the RS400 Northern Winter Championships. Full details can be found here.
Full results can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/LLSC/Results/2017/Tipsy.htm?v=1