Scorpion Open at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club

Light winds for the Hollingworth Lake Scorpion Open © Chris Massey

Under skies that couldn't make up their mind the Scorpion open meeting took place alongside the GP14s at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club last Sunday.

Variable wind and weather were not matched by the consistency of eventual winners Andy McKee and Chris Massey who counted two first place results after the three races. Despite the absence of some notable names, the quality of their racing shone through.

The first race set the tone for the whole day with Andy and Chris leading from the start. After the first lap a monumental squall with scalp-stripping rain led to a few close calls for some of the fleet things settled down. Both boats 1681, Paul Newman and John Purdie, and 2033, Steve Walker and Jerry Hannabus, were subject to individual recalls yet Steve and Jerry still managed to work their way back to second place, ahead of Colin and Luke Bradley in 2030.

After a vast lunch of pie and peas, generously included in the entry fee, the second race was marked by gear failure for Steve and Jerry, allowing Colin and Luke to follow Andy and Chris home to second place. Richard and Carl Jones were just pipped into third place.

The final race saw slightly lighter winds, and tighter racing for all. Andy and Chris battled the whole race with Steve and Jerry. With only feet between them at the final mark Steve and Jerry matched their opponents tack for tack and took a well deserved win. The battle for third was similar with the family boats of the Joneses and the Bradleys swapping places throughout the whole race. By the end of the race Colin and Luke clinched third place, earning them third overall, with Steve and Jerry second and Andy and Chris first.

Prize winners at the Hollingworth Lake Scorpion Open - photo © Chris Massey

The challenging landing in the tiny harbour at the club was rewarded with enormous slabs of cake, and for some a trip to the neighbouring The Beach pub. Hopefully next year there'll be a few more boats there, including some GP14 sailors who may have been won over by the lively Scorpions they followed round all weekend!

Overall Results: