Solo Open at Ripon Sailing Club
by Andy Cheetham 12 Apr 2018 09:30 BST
7 April 2018
The weather forecast during the proceeding few days didn't make for good reading. Wet and no wind mainly. However, as is often the case it wasn't as bad as that. 12 sailors risked it, 8 locals and 4 visitors and in the end it was a pleasant day's racing.
RO Patrick Altoft set race 1 underway after a short lived 180 degree wind shift arrived and then reverted within a few minutes of the start sequence! The pin end was the place to be and local jockey Tony Dallimore nailed the start and lead the fleet away from multiple Enterprise national champ Tim Sadler of Yorkshire Dales SC who was some distance back at the windward mark. Tony kept the lead for quite some time in 5mph winds before slipping to 2nd in the final moments watching Tim Sadler take the win. Steve Bishop of Girton SC came in 3rd.
Race 2 and 3 were raced back to back after lunch and thankfully in a little more breeze. Tim Sadler wrapped the Open up with another win from Steve Bishop in 2nd and Jamie Rastrick of Yorkshire Dales SC in 3rd. There was some guess work involved for many with some very unpredictable winds which saw one side of the lake pay on one lap and then the opposite side pay the next lap.
Race 3 proved another interesting affair with the fleet having to make a difficult choice of which side of the lake to opt for upwind, as it was the eastern side of the lake was the place to be this time and Tim Sadler, Jamie Rastrick and Andy Cheetham of Ripon Sailing Club sailed clear away. With only a couple of laps left Jamie Rastrick nipped in front of Tim Sadler and lead to the finish line to win the third race, Andy Cheetham crossed the line in 3rd.
So overall Tim Sadler won comfortably, from Jamie Rastrick in 2nd and Steve Bishop in 3rd and the top local was Tony Dallimore.
Ripon Sailing Club laid on 12 prizes for everyone who raced and in the end, as if proof were needed, the weather forecasts were wrong meaning everyone finished dry rather than soaking wet!