Tipsy Icicle Series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club - Week 6
by Paul Heath 10 Feb 2016 20:06 GMT
7 February 2016
There was no waiting around for wind this week for races 11 & 12 of the Tipsy Icicle series at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club. It was already blowing 15 knots from the south west as the 51 boats left the shore and there were a few capsizes on the run down to the start area even before the real breeze arrived which it did half way through the first race.
11 Lasers this week and they got away first time. Gareth Staples-Jones (LLSC) got his nose in front and made the most of the near lake long reach as he powered away from the fleet into a very large lead that he never relinquished, to come home first. Behind him there were plenty of capsizes but a close battle but Charlotte Greenhalgh (LLSC) held off the big boys to finish second. Garry Knott (Ogston SC) was third and Howard Green (LLSC) rolled back the years to finish fourth. All 11 boats finished the race.
There were 22 boats in the handicap fleet which included 10 Solos. Series leader Andy Flitcroft (Bolton SC – Supernova) took yet another win even though he capsized during the race. Gareth Williams's (LLSC) Aero 7 loved the off wind legs, and was probably one of the fastest downwind boats on the water, as he sailed it into second place. Third place went to the GP14 of Tom Wallwork/Sam Platt (Bolton SC) who played it safe by keeping the kite stowed when the big winds arrived. Fourth was Graeme Bristow (LLSC) in his Streaker. These four plus Mark Atherton (LLSC – Lightening) were the only boats in the fleet to finish the race.
In the Solos Patrick Hamilton (Burwain SC) and Chris Robinson (Hollingworth Lake SC) hit the front and built up a large lead over the others. They then traded places at the front until Robinson was taken out downwind by one of the major gust during which his boat nosedived and capsized resulting in him retiring. Hamilton sailed through to take the win with Paul Heath (LLSC) a long way back in second, Eric Paalman (Budworth SC) third and his club mate Mark Cleary was fourth.
The most dramatic incident of the day occurred in the Asymmetric fleet (see link below) were 11 boats started but only 6 finished. New to the series Matt Mee/Emma Norris (Red Wharf bay SC) made it look so easy in the big gusts now blowing across the course, as they sailed their borrowed RS200 into first place overall. Behind them the RS400s were really struggling on the off wind legs as, fully powered up in the gusts, many were seen sailing on their side. Chris Pickles/Matt Sharman (Delph SC) suffered the most as, while really going for it on a three sail reach and the wind peaking at 27 knots, a gust slammed into them and their mast folded in half putting an end to their day. Second place went to another RS200 that of Jon Chapman/Wendy Martin (Budworth SC) Third place went to the 29r of Bobby Hewitt/Harvey Martin (LLSC) with the RS400 of Hamish Gledhill/Simon Dowse (WRSC) was fourth.
Another weekend of training elsewhere saw just 6 boats in the junior fleet. With enough wind to get him planning, and sailed faultlessly, Drew Gibbons (Redesmere SC – Optimist) took first place. Behind him it was a battle of the Toppers and series leader Sam Cooper (WLYC – Topper) had to settle for second, Lorcan Knowles (LLSC) third and Rachel McCluskey (LLSC) fourth.
Over a well-deserved lunch there was plenty of telling of 'war stories' It was a depleted fleet of just 40 boat that took to the water thankful that the breeze had dropped to a more manageable 13 knots with gusts of 20.
It was the same top four in the Lasers but this time Knott took the win. Greenhalgh took another second, Staples-Jones dropped down to third and Green showed it was no fluke with another fourth.
In the handicap fleet Bristow found the conditions more to his liking as he sailed his Streaker into first. Flitcroft had to settle for second, Williams third and one of Race 1s retirees, Mark Dingsdale (LLSC – Phantom) was fourth.
In the Solos Robinson, Heath and Hamilton took turns at the front but Robinson suffered gear failure and retired. Heath led until an incident with an RS400 saw Hamilton nip through to take the lead and with it the win. Third was Brian Sprague (LLSC) and Steve Ferrington (WKSC) was fourth.
Mee/Norris took another win from the RS400 of Richard Catchpole/Gary Coop (LLSC) Third and fourth went to the RS200s of Matt/Mille Bromley (RYA) and Martin/Sian Joesbury (Budworth SC) respectively.
In the junior fleet it was the same top four with the same boats finishing in the same positions.
After a full on day the competitors would like to thank all the safety crews for their hard work as they were kept very busy in the cold conditions and also to those sailors who sat out the second race but volunteered to assist in helping the safety crews. Thanks also to Paul Hargreaves and Tim Yeates for sharing with us the photographs they took of the day.
A video of the RS400 demasting, made up of 33 photos stitched together, can be viewed at
www.facebook.com/paul.hargreaves.779/posts/757783941020691
Series results to date can be found here.