Osprey Open at Hornsea Sailing Club

Five visitors joined the three home boats for the Hornsea Osprey open © Dave Metcalfe

Five visitors joined the three home boats for the Hornsea Osprey open © Dave Metcalfe

Five visitors joined the three home boats on Hornsea Mere for the two-day event. The wind, westerly for the first day, built steadily through the morning, then dropped slightly for the start of the first race, to the top end of a force four. This suited the heavyweight pairing of Alec Mamwell and Ian Little, (Kielder Water SC), as they held a substantial lead for most of the race. However, Rob Shaw and Alaistair Smith, (Kielder/Filey SC), in their Mark IV boat, pushed hard on every lap, finally breaking through on the last one to take the win. Viola and Mike Scott, also from Kielder, took third place after a tussle with Dave Metcalfe and Malcolm Clack, (Hornsea SC) and Paddy Lewis and Francis Scott (Kielder).

Race 2 proved to be a walkover for Shaw/Smith as they led from start to finish. Mamwell/Little looked good for second, but on the second lap local sailors Metcalfe/Clack came from fifth to second, only to drop back again to fourth as Scott/Scott came through to take second place on the line, followed by Mamwell/Little.

Sunday’s wind dropped to a force 2 and moved round to become a shifty and unsettled south-easterly. Metcalfe/Clack led the first two laps of Race 3, but on the third beat, which had broadened to a fetch, a lift behind them allowed Shaw/Smith to climb higher and then free off and nudge inside them at the mark. Once round it the new leaders showed the fleet a clean pair of heels and were never troubled for the rest of the race. On the last beat home Metcalfe/Clack had to apply close cover to the rapidly gaining Scotts to take second.

In Race 4, Shaw/Smith once again led from the start, followed closely by Metcalfe/Clack, the Scotts and Lewis/Scott. By the finish the Scotts had moved into second, pushing Metcalfe down to third, and Chris Dickinson/Brian Kelly (Ogston SC) came from sixth up to fourth.

Shaw/Smith had now won the meeting and did not sail the final race. Viola Scott, in keeping with the ‘have a sail’ ethic of the new Mark IV Ospreys, swapped boats with Dave Metcalfe and Malcolm Clack, a dangerous move in view of their respective second and third placings overall at that point. In the unfamiliar boat Metcalfe and Clack narrowly won the race from Mamwell/Little and Dickinson/Kelly, with the Scotts crossing the line in fourth, thus ceding second overall to Metcalfe/Clack on the grounds of the race win. Was Viola bovvered? Not one bit, she was just pleased to give somebody else a go in her wonderful Mark IV.

Overall Results:

1st 1317, Rob Shaw and Alaistair Smith (Kielder Water/Filey Sailing Club) 4pts
2nd 1286, Dave Metcalfe and Malcolm Clack (Hornsea Sailing Club) 10pts
3rd 1314, Viola and Mike Scott (Kielder Water Sailing Club) 10pts
4th 1276, Alec Mamwell and Ian Little (Kielder Water Sailing Club) 12pts
5th 1158, Chris Dickinson and Brian Kelly (Ogston Sailing Club) 17pts