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RS Sailing 2021 - LEADERBOARD

Solo open meeting at West Kirby Sailing Club

by Martin Hartley 6 Jun 2018 17:08 BST 2 June 2018

Early risers in West Kirby saw a miserable day dawning. Rain, cloud, grey skies and NO wind. ZIP. Still, its wasn't all bad. Today is the day WKSC hold their Solo Open. Ever popular, the day starts with as much coffee and as many doughnuts as you can stuff in. All at once of course – its an event within an event now. Boring result this year. Nobody was playing hard, with no wind no one was taking aboard any extra weight today. No sign of any water, visitors gaze seawards wondering where it is, there's only sand for miles and still no wind.

Adam Whittle, the PRO was looking bemused. No water, no wind or at least by now very little, not enough wind to make over the tide anyway, what's to be done. Doughnut anyone?

With really only one option, the PRO decided to opt for the Marine lake instead of the tide. With everyone in agreement 16 Solos headed out onto the lake where a Northerly breeze had filled in. Although light, the direction allowed for a good windward-leeward course to be set and the day turned serious.

In what was the pattern for the day, bearing in mind the light breeze, the racing became a tackfest. The wind was shifting and those that missed them or were unable to take them inevitably made it to the back, I should know, but as always, the cream rises to the top with Steve Graham winning from Steve Dennison with Gorden Bernell third.

The second race was much the same with a clean start and good racing with plenty of place changes up the first beat. Those that tacked close inshore seemed to have lost out as John Dixon from WKSC shot up the left side in more breeze. Sadly, the promenade side then started to pay as a right shift took that side closer to the windward mark and John lost his lead. Martin Honnor took over and lead for much of the race only to lose out on the final short beat to the finish. Steve Dennison took first from Martin Honnor with Phil Barnes in third. And what of yourself I hear you ask, well, I capsized. In no wind. Too many doughnuts I said.

Another clean start for most of the fleet began the third of the three back to back races. Martin Honnor was OCS and returned but was buried in the back of the fleet with no hope of catching the leaders who were, in first place Steve Graham, second Steve Denison and third Brian Spruce. But what happened to Martin Honnor? He took the probably obvious option to retire. Probably? Well unbeknown to everyone, the PRO had bowled a googly and written into the SIs all three races to count, no discards. Well that's not cricket is it! Whoever reads the SIs? Not me for sure. Still, it made for some interesting face-pulling during prize giving (it's OK Steve you can stop now).

Thanks go to The PRO Adam Whittle and his team and indeed all those involved in making this a good event, and a special thanks to all our visitors.

Overall Results:

PlaceBoat NameSail NoHelmClubR1R2R3Pts.
1stSwipping Right5763Steve DenisonR.Y.A2125
2ndTracy Girl5741Steve GrahamBurwain Sailing Club1416
3rd 5685Philip BarnesBudworth Sailing Club73414
4th 5605Gorden BernellShotwick Lake Sailing Club35715
5th 5211Gareth HenshallShotwick Lake Sailing Club68519
6th 5417Brian SpruceLeigh & Lowton Sailing Club116320
7thArfandarf5514John DixonWest Kirby Sailing Club57820
8th 5658Martin HonnorOgston Sailing Club42DNF23
9thTom5312Stuart NorrisShropshire Sailing Club99927
10thGelafix 25518David ThomasGresford Sailing Club1311630
11thNik Nak II5529Nick HornsbyHollingworth Lake Sailing Club10131033
12thNik Nak III4842Steve JardineWest Kirby Sailing Club12121135
13thSolstice5005Martin HartleyWest Kirby Sailing Club8DNFDNS42
14th 5712Tony SampsonS C Y CDNF10DNC44
15thStandoffish4299Tony O`BrienWest Kirby Sailing ClubDNF14DNF48
16th 5645Ian HopwoodNantwich Sailing ClubOCSDNFDNC51

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