GP14 Southern Travellers Series Venetian Trophy at Welsh Harp

GP14 Venetian Trophy at Welsh Harp © Luke Howard

GP14 Venetian Trophy at Welsh Harp © Luke Howard

Fine weather at the Welsh Harp for the 2017 Venetian trophy. A 10 knot South Westerly breeze and warm sunshine.

The first race saw visiting sea sailors Andrew Clewer and Sarah Collingwood adjust well to the flat water. After an indifferent start, they took the lead from Steve Cooper and Arran Gillies on the short reach after the windward mark. The chasing boats stayed close enough to force strategic decisions throughout the race but Clewer finished in front of Cooper while Richard Ham and Steve Browne made gains on lap 3 to finish third.

The fleet returned to the clubhouse to enjoy and excellent lunch provided by WHSC volunteers. Displacing a little more water the boats headed out for the next start.

In race 2 variations in the wind favoured boats starting towards the middle, leaving those to leeward with a lot of traffic to negotiate on port tack after the necessary tack at the south shore. Andy Wadsworth and Andy Shrimpton got away cleanly but were overhauled by Ruslan Scutlenic with Jamie Isles crewing. By lap two Richard Ham and Steve Browne had hunted them down, they were relentless on the beat with their vertical rig testament to a winters work in the gym. Steve Browne then teased the best out of the breeze downwind. The wind was blowing plum down the lake and sitting through some brief spells by the lea did not result in losses to those who preferred gybing for better angles on the wind. Keith Street, in his new boat, sailed into third place with daughter Amy crewing, Scultlenic/Isles and Ham/Browne finished 2nd and 1s t respectively.

All to be decided in race 3. After two indifferent starts Ham and Browne got away cleanly and were first to the windward mark. Again, the lead boat was unable to sail away from the fleet. On the first run Chris Lomax and Dianne Marcos sailed low and led briefly after the gybe mark, by the next run Ham and Browne were back in front but once again sailed high leaving the door open for Cooper and Clewer to take advantage of a corridor of breeze along the North shore. Ham slipped round the gybe mark a boat length in front of the pursuers. On the final beat the fleet split in search of the shifts that would deliver victory. There were some forced tacks and some very nice lifts along the middle of the lake. The top order was shuffled but Ham and Browne stayed watchful and were victorious, winning the race and the event.

Alistair Lambert and Caro Mitchell grabbed an excellent second place in front of Clewer and Collingwood who were second overall, a fourth in the race was enough to secure 3rd overall for Steve Cooper and Arran Gillies. First in the Silver fleet were Andy Wadsworth and Andy Shrimpton and best in the Bronze, rounding up a good day for the Street family were Sarah and Amy's sister Lucy.

Overall Results: