Lightning368 Grand Prix Series at Manor Park Sailing Club - Preview
by Lee Bratley 7 Apr 2016 08:01 BST
9-10 April 2016
It's seemed like a long break after 2015, but at last the Lightning368 Grand Prix Series 2016 gets underway this coming weekend (9th-10th April).
Manor Park SC in Staffordshire hosts the opening round with a training day at the club on Saturday and racing on Sunday.
In between the two, we have a table reserved at our favourite hostelry, The Old Peculiar, for a season curtain-raiser dinner.
Robbie Claridge was the runaway winner of the 2015 series and hopes to begin his defence at the picturesque Staffordshire venue - but with several helms upgrading boats or re-fettling existing ones, this season could prove a tough one for all of the top-of-the-tree regulars,
Add in the mystery of several helms new to the class and the weekend could be one of 'all change' to the status quo.
With an eleven-event series featuring venues all over the UK, this years Lightning368 series will, doubtless, prove to be just as competitive and fun as previous years. Anyone interested in checking out the class and its people are always welcome at events, just take a look at the calendar here: www.lightning368.org/lnwp/?page_id=41 and pop along and say hi.
With training starting quite loosely around 11am-ish on Saturday before decamping to the pub in the evening and three races from around 1100am on Sunday, the opening weekend of the series will be a great one.
Manor Park SC can be found close to the village of Kings Bromley on the A513.
manorparksailingclub.wordpress.com/where-we-sail