RS Aero Open at Ogston Sailing Club
by Nick Craven 2 Oct 2019 05:26 BST
28 September 2019

Matt Thursfield - Ogston RS Aero Open 2019 © Ogston Sailing Club
The last event in the RS Aero UK Northern Circuit was held at fabulous Ogston Sailing Club in Derbyshire. Due to a forecast of high winds with big gusts the turnout was reduced, however, 10 enthusiastic sailors arrived ready to tackle the fruity conditions.
The first race was indeed windy with big gusts that challenged even the most experienced sailors with many capsizes and a couple of retirements. For Race 2 the wind dropped a little however it was very fluky and made for a challenging sail. Matt Thursfield won the first two races with Keith Escritt hot on his heels.
For Race 3 the wind spun around and became very light, Nigel Davies of Draycote SC, new to the northern circuit made all the right decisions and took the win. Matt showed how he loves the light wind by finishing last!
Race 4 was the best race of the day. The wind had picked up and was reasonably constant with a few smaller gusts. The fleet split into 2 groups with the front 5 pulling away and any one of the five could have taken the win. Keith prevailed and was first over the line. Matt came in 2nd to clinch the event with Nigel Davies 3rd overall.
A great event and thanks to Kent Martin for his assistance in arranging it and thanks to the Ogston SC team for a fantastic day in challenging conditions both on and off the water.
Next up for the UK fleet is the RS Aero UK Inland Championships at Rutland on 12/13th October which also doubles as the UK Ladies and Masters Champs and a few charter RS Aeros still remain available.
Full details on UK RS Aero events are on the UK Events List
Overall Results:
Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Net |
1 | 1744 | Matt Thursfield | Chelmarsh SC | 1 | 1 | ‑10 | 2 | 4 |
2 | 1415 | Keith Escritt | Yorkshire Dales SC | 2 | 2 | ‑8 | 1 | 5 |
3 | 2420 | Nigel Davies | Draycote WSC | ‑5 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
4 | 2649 | Adam Hague | Ogston SC | 6 | 4 | 2 | ‑7 | 12 |
5 | 1218 | Christopher Abbott | Nottingham SC | 3 | 5 | 5 | ‑6 | 13 |
6 | 2146 | Nick Craven | Scammonden SC | 4 | ‑9 | 4 | 5 | 13 |
7 | 3011 | Lawrence Hayward | Staunton Harold SC | (DNF) | 6 | 3 | 9 | 18 |
8 | 2155 | Iain McGonigal | East Lothian YC | (DNF) | 8 | 7 | 3 | 18 |
9 | 3032 | Tom Penty | Beaver SC | 7 | 7 | ‑9 | 8 | 22 |
10 | 2125 | Julie Archer | Ullswater YC | (DNF) | 10 | 6 | 10 | 26 |