Kippford Week 2023 at Solway Yacht Club
by Ian Purkis 7 Aug 2023 14:19 BST
31 July - 4 August 2023
Fun in the sun and sheltering from the storm
Kippford Week 2023 will go down in Solway Yacht Club history as a week of contrasts. Unlike the dawn to dusk sunshine of 2022, Monday dawned grey and overcast with frequent rain showers and a forecast of strong winds. Another strong entry promised close racing, with many from far away, including a Flying Fifteen crew from the West Indies, entered under the Antigua Yacht Club burgee. Following Cadet Week a fortnight earlier, there were also several cadet crews keen to take the next step up the competitive ladder.
Despite the forecast, the fleet launched on day 1 in comparatively calm conditions, so much so that sailing out against the flood tide wasn't easy. With the Committee Boat anchored well South of Rough Island, the larger cruising yachts were first to start, heading out onto their course in the Solway. The Flying Fifteen keelboats and racing dinghies following in four fleets. As Race 1 ended "the forecast that had been forecast" could be seen with a heavy front of dark cloud moving up the Solway; the strong winds had arrived! Race 2 started but quickly the fleet of safety boats were busy, mostly standing-by capsized boats but assisting where needed. By the end of the race most competitors had been for a swim following capsizes, but notably not most of the cadet crews who managed the conditions better than most. Sadly, there were a few broken masts and gear, but with spares and repairs ashore, only one boat was unable to compete on the following morning.
Day 2 and a contrast in conditions, in Solway sunshine; racing started in a light Northerly but hardly had the fleet crossed the start when the wind changed direction to a Southerly catching several out, albeit briefly. More close racing and then unusually, the first of several boats during the week to have corrected handicap times tied, invoking the Racing Rules of Sailing Appendix A 7 to be applied.
Wednesday, Day 3 and dire forecasts further South with "Storm Antoni" nearby caused the Principal Race Officer Lindsay Tosh and Assistant RO Willie Patterson an anxious time. Having considered the sea state off the Almorness Peninsula, Monday's actual conditions and the forecast during planned race times, they took the difficult decision to cancel all racing for the day. Getting much credit from the competitors for their prompt decision, that was it, but the action didn't stop there. During the evening the socials took off, with the disco run by RKDJ and accompanied live by the amazing "Shades of Sax", the dance floor came alive, leaving the later tide and start on Thursday a distant thought.
Thursday came and more wind and thankfully sunshine, leading to great racing with two more on the scoresheet. After the two missed races on Wednesday, for Friday the Race Committee changed the Sailing Instructions to two short races rather than one longer one.
Prize giving saw a packed clubhouse with home crews taking most but not all the top spots. Fiona and Gordon Blandford won the cruisers, Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne won the Flying Fifteen series while father and son crew, Richard and James Colbeck, won in the fast Handicap fleet. SYC Cadet Toby Iglehart won the Handicap 3 fleet in his Topper with visitors Hamish and Sally Mackay winning the Handicap 2 fleet in their Laser 2000.
Kippford Week Results: (4 race series cruisers, 8 race series other fleets)
Cruisers
1st Fiona and Gordon Blandford (Hawk 20)
2nd John Searle, Gareth Jones, Stuart Monaghan, Andrew Bodenham (Pegasus 800)
3rd Richard Carson and Jacob Hathaway (Hawk 20)
4th Robert Dinwiddie, David Wood and Robert Kennedy (Hunter 20)
5th Angus Campbell and Richard Howe (Hawk 20)
6th Ronnie Coutts and Mark Harris (Sadler 29)
Flying Fifteens
1st Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
2nd Scott Train and Anne Stewart
3rd Andrew Johnston and Anna Grafton
4th Peter Hammond and John Sproat
5th Sandy Mair and Ray Isaac
Handicap 1
1st Richard and James Colbeck (Buzz)
2nd Graham Young (RS Aero 7)
3rd Keith Veasey (Finn)
4th Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400)
5th Finlay Train and Hannah Davison (RS200)
6th Scott McColm (Finn)
7th Ellie Young and Claire Stewart (RS200)
8th Jack Jardine and James Howie (Fireball)
9th James Bishop and Alex Lammie (Fireball)
10th Katie Bishop and Nicola McColm (RS400)
11th Lilli Bell and Ellie Rowand (Fireball)
12th Matthew Murray-Downing and Gavin Downing (B14)
13th Chris Nurney (Dart 18)
14th Katie Harris and Ruaridh Lindsay-Smith (RS200)
Handicap 2
1st Hamish and Sally Mackay (Laser 2000)
2nd Phil Dickinson (ILCA7)
3rd Stephen Brisley (ILC7)
4th Dewi Williams (ILCA7)
5th Simon Wilson (ILCA6)
6th Louise Allan and Carol Beattie (GP14)
7th Finn Harris (ILCA4)
8th Anna Griffin (ILCA6)
9th Mark Lewis and Beatrice Overend / Ruaridh Lindsay-Smith (GP14)
10th Simon Roberts (ILCA7)
11th John Broadbent Anne Craddock (GP14)
12th Emma Lane (ILCA6)
13th Ian Purkis and Joe Barnes (Firefly)
14th Mhairi MacDonald ILCA6)
15th James Bingham (ILCA6)
16th Douglas Boddenham and Hadley Hewitt-Chick (Laser Stratos)
17th Jess Pound (ILCA4)
Handicap 3
1st Toby Iglehart (Topper)
2nd Lucy Leyshon and Ida Iglehart (RS Feva XL)
3rd Oliver Bennet (Pico)
4th Tamsin Wallace and Elise Reilly (RS Feva XL)
5th Maria McMiken and Hannah O'Dwyer (RS Feva XL)
The RNLI Regatta Race
A separate event, but as usual linked to Kippford Week, several new crews had entered with other crew changes while some were already heading home. As launch time approached, it was chilly, heavily overcast with rain showers but almost no wind. The fleet had to be towed out to the start area, again South of Rough Island but as they arrived, so did the wind. The strengthening wind meant those feeling chilly beforehand soon warmed up with energetic sailing throughout the fleets.
The sail home and the Regatta prize-giving marked the end of another great Kippford Week. With all entry fees donated to the Kippford RNLI, Gareth Jones, Operations Manager, thanked the Club for its support and looked forward to a very special RNLI Regatta event in 2024, marking 200 years since its founding in 1824.
RNLI Regatta Race Results: (one race)
Cruisers
1st Richard Carson and Jacob Hathaway (Hawk 20)
2nd John Searle, Gareth Jones, Stuart Monaghan, Andrew Bodenham (Pegasus 800)
3rd Fiona and Gordon Blandford (Hawk 20)
Flying Fifteens
1st Colin Filer and Jamie Gascoigne
2nd Scott Train and Anne Stewart
Handicap 1
1st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)
2nd Ian Holden and Peter Nelson (RS400)
3rd Alistair Johnstone and Adam Firby (Dart 18)
4th Scott McColm (Finn)
5th Richard and James Colbeck (Buzz)
6th James Howie and Nicola McColm (RS400)
7th Chris Nurney and crew (Dart 18)
Handicap 2
1st Simon Roberts (ILCA7)
2nd Tony Bamforth and Louse Allan (GP14)
3rd Hamish MacDonald (ILCA6)
4th Anna Griffin (ILCA6)
5th Finn Harris (ICA4)
6th Ian Purkis and Joe Barnes (Firefly)
Handicap 3
1st Sally and Hamish Mackay (Mirror)
2nd Tamsin Wallace and Elise Reilly (RS Feva XL)
3rd Jane and Katie Gascoigne (Pico)