Solo Northern Championship at Hollingworth Lake Sailing Club

Solo Northern Championships sponsored by Winder Boats © Mike Shaw / www.fotoboat.com

Solo Northern Championships sponsored by Winder Boats © Mike Shaw / www.fotoboat.com

Jim Hunt dominated the Winder Boats sponsored Solo Northern Championship at Hollingworth Lake SC on a sunny weekend. Forty boats competed for this 6 race event, with the Club Open Meeting results from the 3 races on Sunday. Winder Boats sponsorship included spot prizes in a draw based on tally numbers that brought a touch of extra interest to the prize-giving.

Anybody who stayed away because of the forecast of very light winds all weekend missed some good sailing though the shifts and occasional dramatic changes led to much place changing within the fleet. After a General Recall, Race 1 got underway with 5 boats out under the Black Flag.

Oliver Whitehead from the host club rounded the first mark ahead of Jim Hunt only to find that he was one of the culprits. Chris Brown was on the tail of Hunt ready to challenge. As the wind died away and then filled back more strongly, John Gledhill made progress to put Brown under pressure on the third lap. On the penultimate leg, the wind again shifts and fades causing much gybing activity. However Hunt escapes for a clear win, with Brown second and Gledhill third.

After lunch, a strengthening southerly wind and a changed course, Hunt again takes early lead, pressed by Dave Mitchell. A father and son battle emerges as Pete Mitchell makes progress, with 4 boats closing up behind. Hunt holds the lead with Mitchell senior second and son Pete third, followed by Club Commodore Nick Brook finding better form for a comfortable fourth place. Race 3 is sailed back-to-back and this time 7 boats are sent home under the Black Flag.

Again Hunt is able to cope with the dramatic shifts which occur, while Stuart Bates (more used to sailing a Merlin Rocket) gets the shifts right to close up to second and finds himself being covered tack for tack by Hunt. Pete Mitchell would be happy with third place.

The Club organised a superb barbecue appropriate to a glorious summer evening for competitors and club members to enjoy while all wondered what wind would be next day. In fact Sunday came with a surprisingly fresh south-westerly wind. Most starters sailed off the line on starboard towards less wind, but expecting a port lift near the shore. Those who came across early find more pressure and a starboard lift.

It was Pete Mitchell who gained most for a good lead at the first mark. Hunt had gone for the port lift and had to make up a few places to chase Mitchell, with Chris Gillard and Bruce Deppe close behind. On the short third beat of the first lap, Hunt passes Mitchell. However these two continue to battle for the lead. It is Andy Fox who gains most on the final beat to come in third, with Gillard 4th and Deppe 5th.

A couple of boats are called out for individual recall on the fifth race start. Hunt is one of them and the other is named as Pete Mitchell who subsequently sought redress for mistaken identity and was awarded average points. John Gledhill appears to have the lead but mistakes the windward mark and has to come back losing many places.

After a few place changes, it is Steve Denison who gets and holds the lead, with Dave Mitchell in second and Andy Fox having another third place, and Deppe fourth. Only one boat is called OCS for the final race, though several have not gone out to play. Hunt makes sure of the Championship and Open Meeting results by taking the lead and holding it with Gillard second and Brown third. Denison’s 4th place is sufficient to keep him in the top three overall.

Pete Mitchell takes the Junior Prize and Gillard the Veteran’s one, with the steady results of Tony Hanan giving him the Grand Master prize.

Thanks are given to Steve Crook and his team for moving marks and good racing in difficult wind conditions.

Overall Results: