Comet Open at Attenborough Sailing Club

Chris Hatton wins the Attenborough Comet Open © Louis Mok

The fleet got away in a stiff breeze with just the one boat over the line at the gun. Chris Hatton was first to the windward mark and soon pulled out a strong lead from Eddie Pope and Bob Dodds. Chris held onto the lead but Bob passed Eddie before the end of the first lap. The first Attenborough boat didn't pass through the gate until Jill Reid, a junior sailing a borrowed boat, coming through in seventh place. The first two were never challenged but Eddie Pope lost a further place to John Coppenhall on lap two. However, Eddie fought back and regained third place on the fifth and last lap.

The wind increased a little for race two but the fleet got away to a clean start. This time Bob Dodds was first to complete the first lap with Chris Robinson second and Chris Hatton in third. Saul Tendler and Roger Chilvers both local sailors capsized at the end of the first run and there boats became entangled such that both sailors called it a day and sailed back to the clubhouse. By the end of the second lap Chris Hatton had gained the lead and stayed there to the end. Bob Dodds slipped to fifth place by the end of lap four but then gained two places to finish third. Chris Robinson finished second after a minor slip to third at the end of lap two which didn't last long until be was back into second place.

Race three saw just fourteen starters and once again they all behaved and got away to a first time start. By this time a pattern had emerged and the usual suspects were once again at the front of the fleet. Chris Hatton was in the lead and stayed that way although tactics came into play when approaching the leeward mark on the penultimate lap to get an inside position at the buoy from Bob Dodds. The attack was defended and they finished 1 and 2 respectively. Chris Robinson had been in a solid fifth place until the final lap when he passed Paul Jago and John Coppenhall to finish third.

Overall Results: