Vortex Midland Championships at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Racing hard at the Vortex Midland championships © Joanna Raglione-Hal

Racing hard at the Vortex Midland championships © Joanna Raglione-Hal

Racing hard at the Vortex Midland championships © Joanna Raglione-Hal

The Vortex Midland championship was the last event of the series held at Grafham SC. Perfect conditions were to greet the fleet.

With a good clean start in race 1, Keith Escritt (Yorkshire Dales)(YDSC) led the fleet around the windward mark closely followed by Ben Rayner (YDSC), Neil Spink (YDSC), Mike Gower (Wilsonian SC) and Jonathan Carter (Rickmansworth SC).

A very even down wind leg and a close beat still had Escritt leading at the windawrd mark next time around. Rayner, close behind deliberately capsized to rectify problems he had with his asymmetric kit, which dropped him right down the field. Terry Pressdee (YDSC) gybed early at the mark straight into pressure to round the leeward mark in 3rd. After rounding the top mark, Pressdee went over the top of Spink and tried the same on Escritt, Not quite, But a very close finish.

In race 2, Escritt led again at the windward mark. But on lap 3 he stayed right as Pressdee and Gower gybed early again into pressure. Rayner, now at full speed was following but capsized to drop down the field again. Gower sailed past Pressdee up the beat and they both went in different directions rounding the top mark. At the finish it was Gower from Pressdee. Escritt Capsized on the run down to let Carter through followed by Ed Courteen (Pennine SC).

In race 3, Escritt led from start to finish as the winds started to pick up. The chasing pack of Rayner, Gower, Spink and Pressdee were changing positions on each lap. Pressdee, parked it up at the Windward mark twice to let Rayner and Gower through and then capsized at the leeward mark. Rayner held off Gower for 2nd and Spink finishing 4th.

The local pub was where the vortex fleet headed for refreshments courteous of the vortex class association.

On day 2 with an early start and the winds forecast to increase, Race 4 was very port end biased which Escritt took full advantage of to cross the whole fleet on port. Another very closely thought race with Pressdee getting inside Escritt on the last run down following a massive 45 degree swing only to go above him heading for the wrong mark and give the win to Escritt. Spink another 3rd and Gower 4th.

In race 5, Pressdee tried to go with Escritt for the port end flier but had to duck the whole fleet. This race seemed to have lots of shifts as the wind was trying to settle. Escritt thought he was doing well until Spink powered in from the left and newest asymmetric kit owner Simon Middleton (Wilsonian SC) from the right. Escritt capsized following the rounding to let all of the fleet through, But Pressdee, his closest challenger was 2nd to last around the mark and only just past him as he righted his boat. Spink was unstoppable in this one as he could do no wrong to finish nearly a full leg ahead of his nearest chaser, Rayner followed by Carter.

Race 6 and Escritt rounded 1st but went too far right downwind so Pressdee and Spink sneaked inside. Spink past Pressdee to the top and a slow hoist from Escritt gave Pressdee time to pull away and then sail over Spink to round the leeward mark and finally hold a full beat to round the windward mark 1st. Pressdee sailed on to win then watched behind as Escritt and Spink had the closest finish of the weekend with both not knowing who finished second.

Final results showed that Keith Escritt (YDSC) was no match on all but one race to the 1st mark, thus taking 3 wins plus the overall win. Terry Pressdee (YDSC) finishing with a well deserved win after three 2nd's, and was very pleased. Neil Spink (YDSC) finished off the top 3 keeping up the Yorkshire domination.