Footy class Videlo Globe at Frensham Pond Sailing Club
by Roger Stollery 3 May 2023 10:52 BST
10 April 2022
Footy class Videlo Globe at Frensham Pond © Roger Stollery
Thick fog and very little wind greeted the early arrivals at the Pond. When it did arrive the wind was from an awkward direction blowing through the trees from behind the competitors in the south-east and southerly directions.
Race officers Roger Stollery and Peter Mitchell laid an America's Cup style course starting on a reach parallel to the control area to the first mark, which should have given a run down to the gate and a beat back to that first mark and a reach back to the start line as the finish.
However, the wind was so variable that competitors were sometimes sailing on all of those courses on the same leg! It was difficult sailing for our Ukrainian junior, Vlad, who had never sailed any sort of boat before, but he learnt a lot of new things during the day in the 16 races and had a few good scores.
John Burgoine from Birmingham MYC started well to win Race 1, sailing his new SLIM design with some superbly made sails. Peter Shepherd from Hollowell Sailing Club won Races 2 & 3 sailing an original Phil Tyler SLIM powered by a balanced una rig. John won the next race, but was lucky to do so as his sail winch servo failed just as he crossed the finishing line. Without a spare servo he retired from the event and went home.
In the next 4 races before lunch only Peter Jackson sailing his 'F plan' design was able to beat him in Race 7.
So the lunchtime leaderboard was headed by Peter Shepherd scoring 7 points, with Peter Jackson 2nd with 14 and Keith Parrott
sailing FAT BOY SLIM in 3rd with 18 points.
Everyone was handling the really difficult conditions better after lunch and there are some close finishes to many of the races. Vlad was the most unlucky getting into good positions only to lose them when approaching the finishing line, but he did get to podium places.
However, Peter Shepherd dominated again with 7 wins and was only beaten once by Peter Jackson in Race 10. As he is such a good sailor he mastered the tricky conditions, retaining the Videlo Globe that he had won on 7 previous occasions
At the prize-giving Peter Shepherd thanked the race team for running another enjoyable event in difficult wind conditions.
Everyone enjoyed the famous Frensham Pond Sailing Club tea of sandwiches, sausage rolls and 3 different types of cake including a superb lemon drizzle cake.
Results:
1st Peter Shepherd - Hollowell SC - SLIM - 14
2nd Peter Jackson - Hollowell SC - F plan - 28
3rd Keith Parrott - Frensham Pond - FAT BOY SLIM - 43
4th Charles Smith - Frensham Pond - FAT BOY SLIM - 53
5th Vlad Nalyvaiko - Guest - ICE - 54
6th John Burgoine - Birmingham MYC - SLIM - 71