Please select your home edition
Edition
Allen Dynamic 40 Leaderboard

Enterprise Open at Frensham Pond Sailing Club

by Roger Carter 14 Oct 2020 15:31 BST 11 October 2020

It was only after much effort that the Thames Valley Area Enterprise meeting on 11th October was given the go ahead, sharing the water with GP14s, as in previous years, and also Larks, as the latter missed their Open at the start of Covid-19 lockdown, with 34 boats entered overall.

The wind was mostly clean, staying in the NW quarter, although the forecast 10 gusting 18 may not have quite materialised but the sailing was good and well mannered and the day beautiful and dry.

The Race Officer, Keith Videlo, stuck to schedule with 3 races in the series with minimal breaks.

In the first race It seemed that all boats got off to a good start but very soon it was apparent that Nigel and Andy Bird were showing their class by pulling away and never looked back.

This left David and John Beaney and Ted Bonner and Andy Majury fighting for second and third until the last lap when Katrina Gilbert and Karen Ferguson in the club's hire boat stole the third place and pushed Ted Bonner down to fourth.

Race 2, following the same course, saw Katrina Gilbert take the lead for the first 2 marks but was soon overtaken by Nigel Bird meanwhile David Beaney who did not get off to a good start caught up and challenged at one point but could not finish higher than 3rd behind Katrina Gilbert.

In Race 3 David Beaney and Nigel Bird both got off to a much better start than Katrina Gilbert which showed in the final result of that same order with Ted Bonner gaining another 4th.

As for the first 2 races, it was very much an event of two parts with Robin Broomfield, Nicholas Carr and Roger Carter fighting it out for the next 3 places and I must give credit to the two Neils for perseverance and not being cowed by the opposition.

Nigel and Andy Bird's 2 first places which gave them the Frensham Packard Cup, presented by the Commodore David Innes, and also meant that they took possession of the Enterprise Thames Valley Area Championship shield.

The event had been in the balance for some time and enormous tribute goes to the General Committee and several others for the hard work in generating the processes that allowed the event to proceed safely in a compliant manner... worthwhile effort for a day that was enjoyed by all.

Special mention must also be made of the Race Officer Keith Videlo volunteering his family bubble to manage the committee boat and one other, without whom this may not have happened.

Overall Results:

PosSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3Pts
1st22456Nigel BirdAndy BirdRYA11‑22
2nd20234David BeaneyJohn BeaneyRickmansworth SC2‑313
3rd22494Katrina GilbertKaren FergusonFrensham Pond SC‑3235
4th22703Ted BonnerAndy MajuryFrensham Pond SC4(DNF)48
5th22656Roger CarterKeith MundyFrensham Pond SC64‑710
6th22870Nicholas CarrNeil RowattFrensham Pond SC55‑610
7th22705Robin BroomfieldZoe Van Den BoschMinima YC‑76511
8th2270Neil ProctorNeil PolsonFrensham Pond SC‑87815

Related Articles

S2S Race at Leigh & Lowton
Sunrise to sunset racing dominated by West Lancs teams The S2S is a team event held annually in June at Leigh & Lowton SC in GPs, Ents and Fireflys starting at sunrise (4.40am) and finishing at sunset (9.40pm). Posted on 23 Jun
Enterprise Thames Valley series at Frensham
Katrina Gilbert and Jenny Rust's three bullets win them the Packard Cup The Enterprise Open meeting on 15th June, an event of the Thames Valley trophy, saw a fleet of seven consisting of two visitors and five home boats sharing the water with the GP14 Open. Posted on 19 Jun
Tamworth Enterprise Open
A blissful day with sunshine with a light breeze The second round of the Midland Area Enterprise Double Chine Series took place at Tamworth on Saturday the 17th of May 2025. A blissful day with sunshine with a light breeze. Posted on 5 Jun
International sponsor 2025 WLYC 24 Hour Race
The event will take place on 13th-14th September 2025 at Southport Marine Lake West Lancashire Yacht Club (WLYC) is thrilled to announce International yacht paint as the headline sponsor for the 2025 WLYC 24 Hour Race, the UK's premier dinghy sailing endurance event. Posted on 27 May
Enterprise Inlands at Ogston
Martin and Abigail Honnor victorious in fleet of 16 Sixteen boats took to the water at Ogston Sailing Club to compete for the title of Inland National Champion. Posted on 21 May
Enterprise Scottish Bluebell Circuit at Loch Earn
The first event attracted nine Enterprises for two days of close racing The weekend of the 26th and 27th April saw the first weekend of the 2025 Scottish Bluebell traveller circuit at Loch Earn Sailing Club. Posted on 13 May
Enterprise Open at Midland Sailing Club
Warm sunshine, a pleasant south westerly breeze and bacon sandwiches Twenty-two Enterprise sailors were greeted at Midland Sailing Club on Sunday morning with warm sunshine, a pleasant south westerly breeze and bacon sandwiches - perfect conditions for what would prove to be an exciting day of racing. Posted on 10 May
Broadwater Enterprise Open
Joint event with the Solo fleet at the end of March On Saturday 29th March, seven Enterprises arrived at Broadwater for the annual open meeting. This was a joint event with the Solo fleet. On arrival, competitors were treated to croissants, pain au chocolat and coffee. Posted on 22 Apr
Ron Beasley obituary
A seven-year joinery apprenticeship lead to being a world champion dinghy builder Ronald William Beasley was born on the 31st January 1931 and grew up in Bradley, Bilston in the Black Country. He left school at age fourteen. He then completed a seven-year joinery apprenticeship at 'Wilcocks' in Wolverhampton. Posted on 16 Apr
Enterprises at Scammonden Water
Training followed by Northern Series racing A total of seven home boats and four visitors gathered over the weekend commencing Saturday the 12th of April for training and racing. The weekend began with Paul Young talking the sailors through the importance of keeping an Ent flat. Posted on 15 Apr