Please select your home edition
Edition
Upffront 2020 Foredeck Club LEADERBOARD

Comet Open at Attenborough Sailing Club

by Roger Day 24 Jun 2019 06:31 BST 22 June 2019
Chris Robinson wins the Attenborough Comet Open © Roger Day

Five visitors joined with seven of our own club boats for this year's Comet Open at Attenborough SC.

The fleet got away to a clean start in light shifty conditions for the first race and soon Bob Dodds sailing 869 was pulling away from the fleet. The course was roughly a figure of eight around five marks with one leg having been planned as a beam reach along the whole lake. A significant shift however meant the first two boats, which had pulled well clear, had to put in short tacks to make the mark. Those behind had various luck with the wind, some making the mark whilst others had to put in a tack. This resulted in a large number of place changes. The wind direction changed several times and varied from about 8 mph to nothing and the race was shortened to 4 laps. Bob Dodds finishing first followed by two more visitors, Chris Robinson (867) and Tim Higgs (849).

After lunch two races were held back to back and by the time race two started the wind had filled in a little and settled down in direction. A new course was set involving six marks but again a rough figure of eight. In race two Chris Robinson rounded the windward mark in the lead closely followed by Bob Dodds and Tim Higgs. At mark 3 of the course Bob decided to take the windward side of our largest island group which was a much longer way to the next mark and he lost a lot of ground and was in the middle of the pack at the next mark. Race two finished with Chris Robinson in the lead followed by Tim Higgs who beat Bob Dodds by less than a boat length.

Race three was held in the best wind of the day at about 9 mph and far fewer lulls. Again a clean get away by the fleet and once again the visitors showed our local sailors how it should be done. Some small changes in position took place but after four laps Chris Robinson took a commanding first place followed by Bob Dodds and you've guessed Tim Higgs in third.

With two wins from three Chris took overall honours with Bob and Tim taking second and third respectively. With four Ladies taking part Jenny Chuen from Nottingham SC was presented with first Lady.

Overall Results:

PosHelmSail NoRigClubR1R2R3Pts
1Chris Robinson867StdBurghfield2112
2Bob Dodds869WXCMYC1323
3Tim Higgs849StdBurghfield3235
4Andrew Beaumont556XtaAttenborough5449
5Jenny Chuen839XtraNottingham SC95510
6Jill Reid81StdAttenborough46610
7Malcolm Davidson856StdAttenborough67813
8Saul Tendler807StdAttenborough78714
9Reuben Tendler441XtraAttenborough810917
10Don Bishop648StdAttenborough1091019
11Iona Reid356StdAttenborough11111222
12Miranda Cook627XtraOrford SC12121123

Related Articles

What was intriguing at the RYA Dinghy Show 2023?
Remote operated self-bailers set one man's heart a flutter Determined not to let moving house (the day before) put him off, YachtsandYachting.com's website developer, Magnus Smith, attended his favourite boat show during the last weekend in February. Posted on 6 Mar
Derbyshire Youth Sailing at Staunton Harold
Buoy number 7 became everyone's least favourite mark Our last Derbyshire Youth Event of 2022 saw 15 boats registering at Staunton Harold Sailing Club on Saturday 29th October. Posted on 6 Nov 2022
Staunton Harold Comet Open
Low water levels fail to deter 18 entries for Northern Aphelion Series finale Low water levels at Staunton Harold Reservoir, only about 40% of capacity, did not deter 18 entries to the Club Comet Open and the last event in the Comet Association Northern Aphelion Series. Posted on 27 Oct 2022
Comet Nationals at Bala
A real case of third time lucky It was a real case of third time lucky, as 26 Comets contested the National Championship over the August Bank Holiday weekend, including a large number of first time entrants to the Nationals. Posted on 23 Sep 2022
Silver Wing Comet Open
Racing for an old propeller from a de Haviland Heron Silver Wing SC held their inaugural Comet open meeting on Saturday 10th September. We contested the newly re-purposed 'Comet Trophy'. Originally used as an inter-club Fireball trophy back when Silver Wing was British European Airways' works club. Posted on 14 Sep 2022
Merthyr Tydfil Comet Open
The stronger forecast gusts generally stayed away The forecast was for stronger winds from the south with occasional showers. When I left home in Cardiff to head north to the club, the wind was rather gusty. I was surprised as we headed north and inland that the wind strength seemed to reduce. Posted on 8 Sep 2022
Cransley Comet Open
The full spectrum of wind strengths and directions There's something predictable occurs every summer at Cransley when the Comets arrive, just like swallows arriving back the same time every year from Africa. Posted on 12 Jul 2022
Winsford Flash Comet Open
Seven lady helms amongst the 16 competitors A total of sixteen Comets made it to Winsford made up of ten local boats and six visitors. Very positively, we had seven lady helms competing. Posted on 20 Jun 2022
Comets at Nottingham
One of the few places to enjoy a cream tea between races A good turnout of 16 boats took part in the Comet Open held at Nottingham SC. Six of the entries were visitors from as far afield as Bristol, Reading and Cheshire; joined by ten home club entries of which two weren't regular Comet sailors. Posted on 31 May 2022
Comet Association Championships at Staunton Harold
Insect bite to the local favourite reduces the fleet from 21 to 20 Twenty-one competitors were signed on from across the country but only 20 took part following the late withdrawal of local favourite Alan Bennett due to a swollen face following an insect bite! Posted on 20 May 2022