Highcliffe Sailing Club Icicle Open Series - Day 3

by Sarah Desjonqueres 13 Feb 2017 13:06 GMT 12 February 2017

Brilliant Barton battles red-hot Rusden and Reid

Sailors are definitely a hardy bunch, not even Sunday morning's glacial conditions deterred our committed competitors. Highcliffe SC iciest Icicle races to date still attracted 25 boats to the start line with the South Coast Journalism team on hand to film the morning's events. So keen were our sailors to race (or to get back into the warm) that virtually the entire fleet were over the line for the start, despite some fabulous attempts at crabbing down the line by the Christchurch and Keyhaven Finn display team. After the general recall, the second start got away cleanly with New (Finn –CSC), Barton (Aero 9 – LTSC) and Hurst (Finn – KYC) arriving at the first mark at the same time. After mucho shouting for water and space, all 3 rounded fairly leaving Barton to accelerate into the distance along the reach up towards Christchurch Priory.

With 2 very broad reaches Barton was unable to extend his lead further, despite the Finns snapping at his heels and managing in the end to complete 3 tours of Christchurch harbour without losing any extra ground to earn himself the line honours. The excitement however, was going on further down the pack, with some tactical racing on show, most significantly between Denison (Finn – CSC) and Hurst who were inseparable throughout right up to the point of finishing the race gunwale to gunwale, crossing the line together and sharing a joint finish in the race results. But, as seems to be the way for this series, it is the Rusden (Radial – HSC) and Reid (Laser – MSC) duo who are calling the shots. Again the pair were red-hot out on the water, sailing hard and never letting the big boys get too far ahead. All their effort translated into 1st and 2nd places respectively after correction. Despite a lengthy lead, Barton was pushed down into 5th after correction leaving Rushworth (OK – CSC) who sailed his socks off to take 3rd place.

In between races, the (freezing cold) race team carried out a rapid re-jig of the course to tighten up the 2 reaches and with an emptying harbour race 6 got under way with little fuss. This time Barton, flew from start to finish, with the less floppy reaches giving him more opportunity to extend his lead. Leading the charge behind was Arnell (Finn - CSC) heading up a mighty Finn procession toward the Priory. Denison again found himself in a sparring match, this time with New, spending race 6 neck and neck right down to the wire finally losing out by just 1 second. The Reid/Rusden battle this time played into Reid's hands as he squeezed every inch of speed out of his boat, but all the effort this time was not quite enough to take the win. After being so close in the last 3 races, Barton finally managed to bag the double of taking line honours and the corrected win leaving Reid to settle for 2nd position and Rusden ending in 3rd.

Overall table sees Rusden sitting 3 points clear at the top, with Reid comfortable in 2nd and Barton nicking in ahead of Barnes (4.7 – CSC) to take 3rd place.

Results after Day 3:

Pos	Class	Club	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	Pts
1st	Laser Radial	Highcliffe SC	James Rusden	‑2	2	1	1	1	‑3	5
2nd	Laser	Mudeford SC	Tim Reid	3	1	‑9	‑11	2	2	8
3rd	RS Aero 9	Lymington Town SC	Peter Barton	(DNC)	(DNC)	3	2	5	1	11
4th	Laser 4.7	Christchurch SC	Drew Barnes	4	3	2	3	(DNC)	(DNC)	12
5th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Jack Arnell	1	4	5	‑20	‑8	4	14
6th	OK	Christchurch SC	Andy Rushworth	(DNC)	(DNC)	8	7	3	6	24
7th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Ray New	8.5	8	‑14	‑9	4	7.5	28
8th	Laser	Parkstone YC	Owain Hughes	5	6	10.5	8	(DNC)	(DNC)	29.5
9th	Finn	Keyhaven YC	Roddy Steel	‑11	5	‑16	10	10	10	35
10th	Finn	Keyhaven YC	Simon Moss	7	9	13	6	‑17	‑17	35
11th	Laser Radial	Highcliffe SC	Hamish Scott‑Dalgleish	‑17	‑15	4	14	7	15	40
12th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Andy Denison	14	7	(DNC)	(DNC)	15.5	7.5	44
13th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Cy Grisley	(DNC)	(DNC)	12	4	13	16	45
14th	Finn	Keyhaven YC	Hurst	13	‑19	10.5	12	‑15.5	13	48.5
15th	Laser	Highcliffe SC	Dave Burrows	‑21	11	‑21	16	12	14	53
16th	Europe	Highcliffe SC	Pete Bell	8.5	12	17	25	(DNC)	(DNC)	62.5
17th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Alex Atkins	12	10	(DNC)	(DNC)	19	DNF	65
18th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Richard Phillips	15	17	15	‑18	18	‑19	65
19th	Laser Radial	Highcliffe SC	John Phelps	16	16	18	17	(DNF)	(DNC)	67
20th	Laser Radial	Christchurch SC	Keith Mitchell	18	13	20	19	(DNC)	(DNC)	70
21st	Laser	Highcliffe SC	Pete Emerson	20	14	‑24	‑21	20	18	72
22nd	RS Aero 7	Highcliffe SC	Graham Platt	‑22	20	‑22	22	21	21	84
23rd	RS Vision	Christchurch SC	Richard Beasley	19	23	23	‑24	‑24	20	85
24th	Laser Radial	Highcliffe SC	Lorrian Wells	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNF	DNC	6	12	86
25th	Finn	Christchurch SC	Steve Hayles	(DNC)	(DNC)	6	5	DNC	DNC	93
26th	Laser		R. Annett	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	11	9	102
27th	Solo	Spinnaker SC	Andy Hyland	(DNC)	(DNC)	7	15	DNC	DNC	104
28th	RS Aero 7	Highcliffe SC	Ken Fowler	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	14	11	107
29th	RS Feva XL	Highcliffe SC	Alex&Jane Gibson	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	22	5	109
30th	Laser Radial	Christchurch SC	Jenny Barnes	10	22	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	114
31st	Finn	Christchurch SC	Rory Barnes	(DNC)	(DNC)	19	13	DNC	DNC	114
32nd	Laser	Mudeford SC	Tom Reid	6	DNF	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	115
33rd	Laser	Christchurch SC	Jack Acton	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	9	DNF	115
34th	Laser 4.7	Christchurch SC	Sue Hayes	24	18	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	124
35th	Laser Radial	Christchurch SC	Richard Hunt	23	21	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	126
36th	Laser Radial	Highcliffe SC	Gary Woodley	(DNC)	(DNC)	25	23	DNC	DNC	130
37th	Laser			26	24	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	132
38th	Laser 4.7	Christchurch SC	Ann Hadley	25	25	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	132
39th	Laser 4.7	Christchurch SC	Sophie Walker	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	23	DNC	146
40th	Laser	RNSA	Stan Laurenson‑Batten	DNF	(DNC)	(DNC)	DNC	DNC	DNC	151

The last 2 Icicle Open races of the series will take place February 26th at 11am. Further information can be found at www.highcliffesailing.co.uk.