Enterprise and Solo Open at Minima Yacht Club
by Kevin Harris 2 Aug 2009 09:11 BST
26 July 2009
A gusty south-westerly proved testing for competitors in the Enterprise and Solo Opens held jointly by Twickenham & Minima yacht clubs on the river Thames at Kingston on July 26th. Twelve clubs were represented with competitors from Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex and Surrey as well as the London area. The main reason, apart from Minima’s reputation for good sailing and hospitality, being that the Solo event was one of the deciding events in the Thames Valley championships which in turn meant a good turnout of 14 Solos on the water for the first start.
The first race saw a few capsizes in the Solo fleet along with some good competitive racing. Racing in the heavy winds was hard work so that the turnout for the third race was reduced to seven competitors. With the wind tending to the S end of SW, on a reach which runs North-South, our visitors soon learnt to take the long tack to the (Eastern) Surrey shore followed by a short tack avoiding the comparative doldrums on the Middlesex side. Of our visitors Joe McLaughlin, Tamesis in Solo 4850, Bada Bing, who won the first two races, took a well earned rest for the third race. Daniel Goodman in Solo 4736 Hiwa Hua Maka came second and Simon Corper in Solo 5024 Fade to Grey came third overall. Minima’s Alex Cane sailed to the middle of the field or better in all three races in Minima’s Club Solo with a hull over thirty years old and a four year old sail which proves that old Solos can still be competitive. Minima Club members were very pleased with the high turnout of Solos in this the first time they had hosted a Thames Valley Series event.
In the Ents Old Grey Fox (Steve & Kathy Collins, Minima YC) was first boat home with Phil Chambers’ Clea (Hampton SC) second and another Minima boat Spirit of Artemis 3rd setting the pattern for the next race. Frolic (Les Rowlinson & Mike King, Minima YC) whose crew have a combined age which must make them one of Britain’s oldest racing dinghy crews decided the weather was too much and retired gracefully. With two races to count Steve and Kathy decided not to take part in the final race of the day. It was down to the crew of Eccles (Minima YC) who had 4 points and a DNF to decide whether they would race – and when they decided to start then Artemis and Clea had to go too to defend their 2nd & 3rd places overall. Happily the wind picked up and steadied a little, giving the best conditions of the day. Clea won with Artemis in second and Eccles in third and final place meaning that the overall winner of the Enterprise Open was the Old Grey Fox.
Overall Results:
Solos
1st S4850, Bada Bing, Joe McLaughlin (Tamesis)
2nd S4736, Hiwa Hau Maka, Daniel Goodman (Kingsmead SC)
3rd S5024, Fade to Grey, Simon Corper (Reading SC)
4th S4120, Godfrey Clark (Fishers Green SC)
Enterprises
1st E22628, Old Grey Fox, Steve & Kathy Collins (Minima YC)
2nd E23218, Clea, Phil Chambers & Andrew Bedford (Hampton SC)
3rd E22813, Spirit of Artemis, Kevin & Susie Harris (Minima YC)