Enterprise Open at Chester Sailing & Canoeing Sailing Club
by Steve Blackburn 19 Sep 2017 00:25 BST
17 September 2017
Eleven Enterprises took part for an entertaining, challenging and testing day on a very swollen River Dee. The river had quite a flow and the wind was light with gusts reaching force 2–3, the wind was from a south westerly direction, which I believe is the best direction as we were beating and running up and down the river.
Race 1 started with a port bias line and everyone had a clean start. We headed up to the top of the river with a port shift favouring the way. Bill Boughall and Fay Newman (Chester) rounded the windward mark first with the whole fleet following close behind, it wasn't long before a lot of places changed and we had a new leader. Tim & Hannah Sadler (Yorkshire Dales) moved into the lead and pulled away to win convincingly. As the race was coming to the end Paul Young and Oliver Mason (Midland) came through the entire fleet on the final run and finished in 2nd, in 3rd was Bill and 4th was Alan & Rhea Burton Roberts in his newly refurbished Enterprise sporting a mean matt black finish.
We had a lunch break with sandwiches, homemade cake and the finest flapjack in the whole of Chester. The weather had improved with the sun making a very popular appearance but the wind was still light.
Race 2, another clean start but another interesting game of snakes and ladders as Phil Snewin and Ros Coleman (Chester) rounded the windward mark in first. The wind was forever filling in from behind on the runs, you could never be sure to hold onto your position, as a wash of blue sail covered any wind you was try hold into your sails. I think Alan held the lead for a bit, then it was Mark Nield and Jacky Finch (Chester) who eventually finish third. Steve Blackburn & Royston Taggart (West Lancs) only took the lead on the final leg to the finish in 1st with Phil in 2nd.
A short rest soon followed race 3, Alan was the man on mission and had a super start rounding the windward mark first, with Wally and Lesley Riley (Chester) not far behind the leader Again the pack was never far away. On the second lap Tim and Richard & Millie Pryke (Ripon) came through on the second lap and Richard eventually took over the lead to win the final race. Alan finished in 2nd and Tim took 3rd.
Overall Results:
Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
1st | 23384 | Tim Saddler | Hanna Saddler | 1 | ‑10 | 3 | 4 |
2nd | 23411 | Richard Pryke | Millie Pryke | ‑9 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
3rd | 22461 | Steve Blackburn | Royston Taggart | ‑6 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
4th | 23382 | Alan Roberts | Rhea Burton | 4 | ‑5 | 2 | 6 |
6th | 21333 | Mark Neild | Jacky Finch | ‑7 | 3 | 6 | 9 |
5th | 22536 | Phil Snewin | Ros Coleman | ‑8 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
8th | 23137 | Wally Riley | Lesley Riley | 5 | ‑8 | 5 | 10 |
7th | 22660 | Bill Boughall | Fay Newham | 3 | 7 | ‑8 | 10 |
9th | 22901 | Paul Young | Oliver Mason | 2 | ‑11 | 10 | 12 |
10th | 23050 | Mike Maddocks | Cerys Done | ‑11 | 6 | 9 | 15 |
11th | 22554 | Amy Spreyer | Andy Clay | 10 | 9 | ‑11 | 19 |