Manor Park Sailing Club Spring Series - Day 3

Champagne sailing in Staffordshire!

Manor Park SC continued their 'Spring Series' at the weekend with a keenly fought pair of races on the picturesque water of this Staffordshire venue.

Blue skies and the merest whisper of a breeze welcome the sailors as Sunday began - with several doubting that any racing could actually go ahead.

However, almost right on cue - and just as forecast - a healthy breeze filled in from the SthWest and, just as rigging and sails began to rattle into life, OD for the day - Roger Turford - declared that the race was on!

A lovely course that utilised the full width of Saddlesall lake and race 1 got underway. Fantastic starts by the entire fleet are now becoming commonplace at MPSC - showing the benefit of several recent training courses at the club - and today was no exception. With no quarter given, or asked, it was another close beat up to the first mark with Ian Shaw edging ahead in his Merlin, followed closely by son Alex Shaw (solo in a Lark) in second. Andy Meek was wearing his brave-pants for the day as the initial whisper of wind lulled him into utilising the Rooster 8.1 rig - with the wind now filled in to a healthy F3.

MPSC commodore, Dave Higgins, had an unfortunate capsize in his Merlin - another lulled by the light winds as the increase in wind caught out the solo-Merlin attemptee!! Being just after the start and with the breeze definitely in for the day, Dave retired to the clubhouse in search of a crew for race two!

As the race continued unabated, conditions were proving absolutely ideal for the likes of the shaws and Mr Meek, with battle joined by a third Merlin - this time Dave and Marg Norris in their recently refurbished example of wooden gloriousness! Unfortunately, just as David launched into a hike, a rather loud crack was heard in the boat and retirement seemed the better part of valour! This retirement benefitted Colin Reisner in his GP14, serenely ticking off the places as the race continued.

A close finish up the final beat to the line and Meek held onto the 'big rig' bravely and managed to pass Ian who was also passed by Shaw the junior in the Lark.

So, with Andy Meek first, Ian Shaw second and Colin Reisner 3rd, race two was set to be a cracker as the top of the league table was now wide open with this result.

After lunch, race two got underway over the same course, but was now joined by Simon Beard & Lee Bratley in an RS400 and Tim Matthews - being bravely crewed by his small family - in a Laser 2000. Greg Slater also joined the fray in his Laser.

It was a determined start by Beard who was fully aware of the need to pull out as much advantage as possible over the big Rooster of Meek and, at the first mark, it was Beard who had pulled out a gap over Shaw, Higgins (now crewed by Alex Shaw) and the looming Andy Meek.

Two great spinnaker legs on the course saw the glorious site of blue skies and kites zipping across the water, surely a day that sailing was invented for, but with no time to survey the scenery (as Beard reminded his crew!) it was full steam ahead for the main protaganists.

Dave Higgins and Greg Slater were having an 'interesting' battle with, i'm sure, several references to the rule book just in case, with Reisner and 2009 'Novice Trophy' winner Bryan Westley also competing well close behind.

Over the line it was Beard - forced to tack on a shift within metres of the finish - and the stopwatch went on in the pink 400, was it enough? As Meek chested the tapes just a few minutes later it was clear that handicap would be the downfall of the line winner and indeed it was.

Meek took the win, Beard a hard earned second but with fantastic conservative racing, it was Colin Reisner and Bryan Westley that nabbed 3rd and 4th in their GP and Enterprise respectively, defeating the two Merlins of Higgins and Shaw Sr.

Huge smiles all round were testimony to the fun that the Matthews boat had been having and all sailors made it safely ashore after a wonderful day of champagne racing.

The new weekend will see the next round of the series and, with a race-training day scheduled for saturday, perhaps even more close racing may ensue in what is turning out to be an engrossing series.

MPSC is located on the A513 between Rugeley and Kings Bromley. 7 miles from Lichfield in Staffordshire.