Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Week 4
by Paul Heath 27 Jan 2015 21:46 GMT
25 January 2015
For the third weekend in a row competitors arrived for the Crewsaver sponsored Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton sailing club to once again find that there was not a breath of wind but at least the sun had made an appearance and the air temperature was a lot higher than in previous weeks.
Again the clubhouse was packed with people awaiting the forecasted wind which we were told was due to arrive by midday. As the start time approached there was no improvement in the conditions so for the second week running the decision was taken to hoist the AP pennant and everybody told to have an early lunch. As competitors dined the wind arrived and spun through all points of the compass before settling in a steady southerly direction. The fleet of 76 boats, with 22 new to the series, went afloat as the wind increased to 8 knots with gusts of 12 knots in race 6.
As is usual first away was the 21 boat Laser fleet which included 7 new entries to the series however it was one of last weeks 'newbies' Graham MacWhirter (UKLA) who carried on from where he left off last week as he took the bullet. Behind him Howard Green (LLSC) came home in second, Mike Baldwin (LSC) third and Gareth Staples Jones (LLSC) fourth in his first outing.
Next away was the 27 boat handicap fleet which included 14 Solos (the results of which are taken separately) The main fleet had 3 new entries and saw the return of the X1 of Alex Morrison/Steve White (LLSC) who took the win on handicap. Second on corrected time, and sailing extremely fast, was the new entry of Phil Smith/Tom Williams (RYA) in their Albacore. Third, and continuing their good form, was the 420 of Mark Platt/Emma McClusky (Bolton SC) and fourth the Albacore of Mike Banner crewed this week by Kaye Banner (LLSC)
In the Solo fleet, which also had 4 new entries, Paul Heath (LLSC) managed to get his nose in front early on and stayed there to take the win from Jon Whitehead (Redesmere SC) in second. Behind them it was series leader Kim Cant (LLSC) in third and Brian Sprague (LLSC) fourth.
Next away, and welcoming 5 new entries to the series, were the 15 boat Asymmetric fleet. Again it was the RS400 of Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (West Riding SC) who led from the off, built up a big lead and looked unstoppable but behind them the RS400 of Caroline Exley/Jude Allen (LLSC) was steaming through the fleet and caught them up on the final short beat to the finish. It was here that Gledhill/Dowse had an altercation with a finishing boat from another fleet which dropped them back and allowed Exley/Allen to cross the line first and take the win on corrected time. Gledhill/Dowse had to settle for second, Bill Kenyon/Andy Dawson (Budworth SC) while the RS200 of Matt/Andrea Bromley (LLSC) beat of the four other RS200's, and remaining Asymmetrics, to finish fourth.
Finally the 13 boat junior fleet started and with 3 new entries it was one of these, Archie Leckie (Optimist – LLSC) that took the win on corrected time. It was the battle of the Toppers behind him as Toby Cope (Rudyard Lake SC) pipped Samuel Cooper (West Lancs YC) for second overall while Coopers club mate Molly Nixon came home in fourth.
The second race of the day was started in 6 knots of breeze with gusts of 10 knots.
In the Lasers MacWhirter claimed his second win of the day while Tim Luke (Killington Sailing Assn) was second, Howard Green third and Mike Bladwin fourth.
Handicap fleet wise the Albacore of Smith/White nailed the start but were deemed to be OCS so Morrison/White in the X1 took another win. Platt/McClusky came home in second, the Banners in their Albacore third and fourth went to Steve Norris (LLSC) in his Phantom.
It was close throughout the Solo race as Sprague, Heath and Whitehead all had a go at the front. Sprague retired once he realised he was OCS and Heath managed to get through Whitehead on the last downwind leg to take another win. Behind the front two it was Owen Griffith who took third and Kim Cant fourth.
Gledhill/Dowse made no mistakes this time as they hit the front., pulled out another big lead and avoided all the other boats to take the win in the Asymmetric fleet while second on corrected time was the excellently sailed RS Feva XL of Matt Leckie/Izzi Bristow (LLSC) Kenyon/Dawson had to settle for another third while Exley/Allen dropped to fourth.
Consistency was the order of the day in the junior fleet as the same finishing positions in the first race were recorded in the second race.
So far in the Crewsaver Tipsy Icicle series we have had 121 boats enter the series and crossing the start line. The series runs until the 15th March and the start time is midday, Full details on how to enter are on the club website and this can be done via webcollect or on the day at the reception desk.
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Full results and more photos can be found at www.llsc.org.uk/1/LLSC/Results/2015/Tipsy.htm
www.llsc.org.uk