Vintage Merlin DeMay series event at Hunts Sailing Club
by Mike Liggett 5 Sep 2016 17:01 BST
27 August 2016
Mike Liggett and Jon Cowper win the Vintage Merlin DeMay series event at Hunts © Nikky Evans
A forecast of thunderstorms may have kept some sailors away on 27 August for the DeMay qualifier at Hunts, however they did not materialise, although the four boats that raced faced a gusty north easterly.
Race Officer Tom Lachlan-Cope set good courses from the Committee Boat utilising most of the lake with good beats and off-wind legs.
In the first race "War Horse" helmed by Jon Cowper and crewed by owner Mike Liggett, powered away at the start and was never challenged. Tim Bury in "Ten-Sixty-Six" and Ben Marshall in "La Volente" battled it out for second place with Ian Laing coming in fourth.
This set the pattern for the following two races, with Jon and Mike getting clear away again, right from the start, with major battles for the next place between Tim and Ben although Ian was able to ease Ben out of third on handicap.
In the final race Ben was closing in but to no avail, as Jon and Mike crossed the line well ahead. Ian Laing unfortunately sprung a plank in the last race and had to retire.
Overall Results:
| Posn. | Sail No. | Helm | Crew | Club |
|---|
| 1 | 1939 | Jon Cowper | Mike Liggett | Hunts |
| 2 | 1066 | Tim Bury | Pat Kuenzler | Banbury |
| 3 | 1596 | Ben Marshall | Sel Shah | Thames |
| 4 | 2410 | Ian Laing | Andrew Hull | Hollingworth |