Please select your home edition
Edition
Zhik 2024 December

Blithfield Barrel Round 1

by Michelle Keeling 26 Nov 2019 09:05 GMT 24 November 2019
Rigged and undeterred in Blithfield Barrel Round 1 © Neil David

Sunday 24th November saw the first round of the legendary Blithfield Barrel take place. 43 teams arrived to a mist covered windless lake, but most appeared undeterred and rigged anyway.

Race officer Alan Skitt wisely took the decision for us to have an early lunch and go for two races back to back in the afternoon as the forecast showed the wind to be increasing throughout the day.

Race 1 was to be sailed in a light South East Breeze. With most of the pressure on the right of the course & a Starboard biased line, it was no surprise that we were recalled to start again under the threat of the black flag.

The restart got away cleanly with Simon Potts & Molly McArthur in their Merlin Rocket first out of the blocks & opting to stay right on the now squarer beat. The fleet split with a few opting to sail the longer route to the right in a little more breeze or those working the shifts to the left. For a while it looked like the boats on the left were in the money seats but a nice shift bought the right siders in to make for a somewhat crowded windward mark.

Simon Potts & Molly McArthur extended away with Chris Gould & Caroline Croft also in a Merlin giving chase. You could have been mistaken into thinking it was a Merlin Open with 22 of the entries being Merlin Rockets, but for the RS400 of Paul & Michelle Keeling slipping into 3rd,, this being the finishing positions for race 1.

Race 2 was started in pretty much the same direction but with the left of the course now paying. As is customary with port biased lines the whole fleet went too soon so were recalled to start under the Black Flag again. This time Mike & Liz Senior in a Merlin Rocket were first out of the blocks & led around the windward mark closely followed by a sea of Merlins & 1 lonely RS400. By the end of the race Matt Biggs & Becka Jones in another Merlin had moved in to take first with Paul & Michelle Keeling RS400 taking second with Mike & Liz Senior taking 3rd.

So after the first round of the barrel, it was consistency that paid off with Paul & Michelle Keeling leading by one point from Matt Biggs & Becka Jones then Chris Gould & Caroline Croft.

Massive thanks to all the sponsors Harken, Birmingham Dinghy Services, Creation Covers, Hartley Boats & Freedom Breweries for supplying fabulous prizes.

View full results at www.blithfield.org.uk/barrel

The next round of the Blithfield Barrel will be the 15th December 2019, for more great races, prizes and fabulous cake!

See you there!

Related Articles

Blithfield Solo Open
Allen and CB Coverstore sponsored Midland Area Solo Series Round 2 Blithfield held the second event of the Allen and CB Coverstore sponsored Midland area Solo series and second event of the Midlands Big Lakes Series. 18 sailors were welcomed to sunny clear skies and a fresh 15-18 mph wind. Posted on 10 Apr
DF65 and DF 95 TT at Blithfield
The weather gods were kind and greeted the 37 competitors with sunshine Blithfield Sailing Club held its third ever radio sailing event, and second TT event. The weather gods were kind and greeted the 37 competitors for DF65 and 36 for the DF95 classes with unseasonable but very welcome sunshine and a good breeze. Posted on 14 Mar
ITCA Midlands Topper Travellers at Blithfield
Hot bacon rolls hearten the sailors on a chilly day The first Topper Traveller of the 2024–25 Midlands series was at Blithfield Sailing Club, and conditions on the day were chilly, drizzly, and (as is traditional now at this venue for Midlands Travellers) rather foggy. Posted on 2 Mar
Blithfield Barrel overall
Woolly hats and balaclavas required for final races This Sunday marked the grand finale of the legendary Blithfield Barrel series, with Round 4 drawing in 26 stalwarts, all braving a biting easterly wind. A steady 10 knots, gusting up to 17, swept across the dam, sending the wind chill plummeting. Posted on 18 Feb
Blithfield Barrel week 3
25 boats from as far away as Dorset hit the water (and ice) Ever wondered what drives dinghy sailors to don their winter garb and push their boat through the pack ice for a day's racing? Me too! However, 25 boats from as far away as Dorset hit the water (and ice) for the third round. Posted on 14 Jan
Blithfield Barrel week 2
The race that nearly didn't happen With Storm Darragh rampaging through the UK and wind speeds forecast to be upwards of 42 knots, a hurried discussion took place on Saturday about whether to cancel or not. The decision was to proceed as planned and make a final decision on the day. Posted on 11 Dec 2024
Blithfield Ospey Open
A combination of good sailing and great food and drink ashore Ospreys have been an icon within Blithfield Sailing Club for decades. Great racing, but the Open is also an event where the great food and drink after sailing is vital. Posted on 14 Oct 2024
Supernova Inlands at Blithfield
The maximum 70 boats raced last weekend Such is the popularity of this blue ribbon event for the Supernova Class, and possibly the popularity of the venue, the entry list reached the maximum of 70 boats with weeks still to run. Posted on 7 Sep 2024
Merlin Rockets at Blithfield
No more Chat GPT - is this purely human eloquence? The day was set for the HD Sails Midland Circuit shared Classic Circuit event at Blithfield Sailing Club. 8 knots gusting 16 (allegedly) and wonderful sunshine. Among the 12 boats and 24 sailors, there was an almost palpable hum of anticipation Posted on 23 May 2024
DF65 and DF 95 TT at Blithfield
The thoughtful inclusion of free hot drinks in the entrance fee added a warm touch Blithfield Reservoir emerged as the spirited host for a captivating weekend long DragonForce TT. The Midlands Area Club, known for its welcoming Clubhouse and expansive waterways, enthusiastically welcomed the challenge. Posted on 29 Feb 2024