Medway RC Laser Club TT Open at Barton's Point Coastal Park
by Jamie Blair 24 Mar 2022 05:57 GMT
20 March 2022
Medway RC Laser Club TT Open © Jamie Blair
Medway RC Laser Club hosted the TT Open Meeting at our venue of Barton's Point Coastal Park on Sunday 20th March with Robert Owens taking charge and assisted by Diane Fowler and Frances Tomlinson for scoring.
The wind direction wasn't ideal with a northeast blowing down both sides of the cafe. Wind strength at the outset was at 12 knots. A course was set with a triangle arrangement after a number of adjustments and the first race got under way.
14 sailors took part with one travelling from Wales. The fleet started with B rigs, taking account of a number of puffs around the racecourse that would be too much for the A rig. Even with the port tack bias on the line a number boats chose to push towards the left hand end of the line. The windward mark was approached by all on port so many calls for "Mark Room". Dave Adams (31) took the first race.
The leeward mark was some distance away from the sailors, making judging the rounding really tricky. In addition, the sun was so glorious it was shimmering on the water adding to the difficulties of rounding this mark. One moment on the last lap of race 3 with Jamie Blair (51) leading the race with Dave Adams behind he turned too early and had to round behind Dave. Many other sailors suffered the same fate at this mark during the course of the event.
In the first hour the breeze kept backing so course adjustments were made after three races and the number of laps increase to 3. The start line was moved further down wind and a separate finish line introduced further up the course. After race 4 Dave Adams had seized the top of the leader board from Jamie. Peter Jackson (75) after a promising start fell away to 5th. Tim Townsend after a difficult first race now slotted in in 3rd.
The shifting wind meant that the now long beat was a leg to gain and loose places, Dave Adams sailed some great races with consistent low scores. Dave Fowler (840) was having an off day in mid fleet. So too was Adrian Tomlinson (30) but was moving up the scoreboard with two bullets in race 5 and 6. Race 6 provided action on the water that led to a full protest hearing between Dave Fowler and Peter Jackson. Dave won the protest.
Just after 12 noon the wind speed dropped and saw the first of the A rigs but results were mixed with little differential between A and B rigs.
At lunch, after race 8, Dave Adams increased the gap to second to 9 points with Tim Townsend and Jamie Blair battling it out for second.
After lunch the breeze was down to around 8 knots so everyone set up A rigs for the afternoon session. Race 9 and 11 saw Dave Fowler recharged and back to winning ways but Dave Adams was maintaining that consistency that many envy.
Race 12 was the last race of the day with Dave Adams with an 11 point lead, Jamie and Tim still scrapping with only two points dividing them.
As the day finished 5 sailors had race wins with Dave Adams with the most.
12 races were completed in total with Dave Adams taking the day, followed by local Tim Townsend (just back from the Wayfarer Worlds in Florida), Jamie Blair and Adrian Tomlinson from Royal Temple (Ramsgate). A great day's sailing in glorious sunshine.
Barton's Point will feature again in September when we host the National Championships. A great day's sailing.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 31 | Dave ?dams | 1 | ‑5 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ‑4 | 1 | 2 | ‑7 | 14 |
| 2nd | 45 | Tim Townsend | ‑7 | 2 | ‑4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ‑5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 23 |
| 3rd | 51 | Jamie Blair | 3 | 1 | 2 | 3 | ‑5 | 3 | 3 | ‑9 | 2 | 5 | ‑7 | 4 | 26 |
| 4th | 30 | Adrian Tomlinson | 5 | ‑6 | ‑6 | ‑6 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 29 |
| 5th | 840 | Dave Fowler | 6 | ‑10 | ‑10 | 4 | ‑10 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 38 |
| 6th | 1008 | John Armstrong | 4 | 3 | 5 | ‑9 | ‑9 | 9 | 6 | 3 | (DNF) | 7 | 5 | 6 | 48 |
| 7th | 75 | Peter Jackson | 2 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | (DSQ) | (DNF) | ‑10 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 8 | 50 |
| 8th | 71 | David Tomlinson | ‑10 | 8 | ‑11 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 8 | ‑9 | 8 | 5 | 59 |
| 9th | 3 | Mark Penny | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | ‑12 | 7 | 7 | ‑12 | 7 | 8 | 6 | ‑11 | 69 |
| 10th | 613 | Andrew Nicholls | ‑12 | 7 | 8 | ‑12 | 8 | 10 | 10 | ‑14 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 80 |
| 11th | 529 | Mike Brand | 9 | 11 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 6 | (DNF) | 7 | (DNF) | (DNS) | DNC | DNC | 81 |
| 12th | 32 | Roger Gibb | 11 | ‑12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 10 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 10 | 92 |
| 13th | 76 | Bob Woolford | (DNF) | (DNF) | 14 | (DNF) | 14 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | DNC | 12 | 113 |
| 14th | 62 | Spencer Pope | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 13 | (DNF) | 11 | (DNC) | (DNC) | 113 |