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Cyclops Marine 2023 November - LEADERBOARD

Abersoch Mirror Week 2023 at South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club

by Mike Crompton 23 Aug 2023 09:09 BST 14-18 August 2022
Abersoch Mirror Week 2023 © Katie Hodges

A full week of contrasting conditions greeted the 48 entrants to this year's event at the South Caernarvonshire Yacht Club, Abersoch.

Many new entrants made the trip to the Llyn Peninsular which is quite a trek for the boats from the South Coast, but everyone seemed to enjoy the 3 days of racing that were sailed between Monday and Friday.

Day one was really not suitable for a Mirror week that has many young helms and crews competing so when the committee was recording a steady 20+ knots with gusts up to 26 we cancelled all racing and signalled 3 races on Tuesday.

The forecasts were correct and two steady races were sailed on Tuesday followed by a lunch break and a third race at 3pm.

The sun shone again on Wednesday, but the wind failed to turn up until a sea breeze kicked in at 2pm which allowed us to start a good race at 3pm.

The results were now starting to take a familiar view with Ben and Evelyn McGrane, Netley SC, leading the pack hotly pursued by Mike, George and Zara Senior from South Staffs who regularly used the shuttle rib to swap crews between races superbly organised by Ian Platt and Lynn Cullen.

We now divided the fleets into Gold and Silver categories and also created a new gaff/gunter rigged group with eight boats.

All boats started together and the results were divided later.

Thursday dawned sunny but a building sea state from the east with 12-16 knots as the fleets launched through the surf.

Two races were sailed but there was need for the U flag to control the 48 boats pushing the line and an ebb tide didn't help. Two races were sailed in champagne conditions with much surfing down the large waves that were building.

The races were both won by Ben and 5 year old Evelyn who displayed fabulous upwind speed through the seas.

The silver fleet was a very close tussle between Aeolus sailed by Jenny Izzy and Ellie Fletcher from Chichester who just pipped Captain Underpants the Stewart's - James, Eluned, Lilli and Rhys from Netley SC.

Thursdays races concluded and the fleets headed ashore to be greeted by large breaking waves on the beach.

The beach crew and several Mirror helms and supporters chest high in the waves were catching boats and ensuring everyone beached safely consequently we awarded the seamanship trophy to this group and Jules Turner picked up the trophy on behalf of the many helpers but special mention to Helen Leach and Ed Lucas.

Everyone partied hard on Thursday evening with the Disco rocking the club till 9pm and I am advised there was some great dancing by parents and kids alike.

The Easterly continued to build and storm Betty was imminent so Friday's racing was cancelled early and prize-giving set for 2pm.

All results are shown below but the beautiful Nutkin Galleon a very sought after SCYC Mirror trophy in years gone by was presented to Alan Bennet with Ellie and Isabelle Fletcher in Zarya who scooped this new trophy for the first gunter rigged boat with a string of first places.

The event attracts all levels of sailors and the current World Champion Ben McGrane was very gracious and accepted the trophy with his daughter Evelyn and to add to their collection of silverware Roz and Keira McGrane were presented with the Tish Fildes Plate as the first all girl team.

Juniors Joe Armstrong-Rowland and Caedon Faulkner, SCYC finished in 7th place and sailed superbly all week to win the Junior trophy.

A huge thanks to all our sponsors particularly the Abersoch Boatyard and Vimto. The social helpers, beach teams, scorers and all at the Club for another great week.

Dates for 2024 will be 11-16th August.

Overall results (as one fleet) available at scyc.co.uk/race_results/abersoch-mirror-week-2023 or see below.

Gold Fleet Results:

PosBoatSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1stAnna71038Ben McGraneKeira McGraneNetley15(DNC)1119
2ndLightning McQueen70920Mike SeniorGeorge & Zara SeniorSouth Staffs SC22123‑410
3rdWave Catcher Too70922Toby WincerMolly & Hedley WincerNetley & HISC41‑656218
4thShelly70182James DateMeris & Amilia DateBurghfield SC57‑962626
5thStop Looking70613James BuddEvie BuddSCYC311834‑1429
6thWind Whistler70639Alex TaylorMartha & Rory Newstead TaylorLeigh & Lowton SC‑1897167544
7th 70720Joe Armstrong‑RowlandCaedon FaulknerSCYC9410‑2310.511.545
8thHummingbird70587Leighton KingPenny KingNetley SC‑15831281546
9thRevengeofthesmurf70832Henry RossHeather RossNetley SC1310134‑141050
10th 70703Guy JacksonOscar & Katie JacksonSCYC‑166121010.511.550
11thLittle Hot Milk70960B KempJames KempAvon SC20‑221175851
12thSonic54453lan DobsonTed DobsonHISC122359(DNC)756
13thElsa7103Roz McGraneKeira McGraneNetley SC615‑181491357
14thMaverick71027Lee ThomasHarry ThomasSouthport821413(DSQ)1763
15thFreedom70798William SinclairJonny Sinclair / Alice : SinclairBudworth SC17‑24218121665
16thRipples70915Steve & Nicola CumleyThomas & Harry CumleyBarnt Green SC732217(DNC)DNC74
17thSurfs Up70972Jewels VassTahlia Woodroffe‑VassReading SC‑1918141917977
18thDotty70556Geoff CarvethZac CarvethHISC211916‑2419378
19thTic Tac70713Brain HollandAnnabelle HollandSCYC‑2414218161978
20thWoodstock70351Becky PriestElla SaundersStaunton Harold SC1017152018(DNC)80
21stZarya69929Alan BennettEllie & Isabelle FletcherStaunton Harold SC1120201520(DNC)86
22ndNaughty Nick69905Sam Armstrong‑RowlandMonty RossSCYC‑22161921131887
23rdSimply Gorgeous69912Alistair DicksonHolly DicksonPort Dinorwic SC1413(DNC)11DNCDNC88
24thSquid70691Tim HallMolly & Benji HallPort Dinorwic SC2312172215(DNC)89

Silver Fleet Results:

PosBoatSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1stAeolus70163Jenny FletcherIzzy Fletcher & Ellie FletcherChichester YC6‑9312113
2ndCaptain Underpants70724James/Eluned StewartLilli/Rhys StewartNetley SC3‑10261214
3rdLabrum of Love70905Alice SemenenkoAlistair GrantCVLSC42‑643316
4thStarlord70324Justin DennyBeatrice & Felix DennyArnside SC‑105155622
5thRacing Demon70816Neil LeachTom & Arthur LeachSCYC2‑8476726
6thSharp Practice69559Alice EdwardsHannah CaseyAbersoch C/Burton SC76537‑1128
7thNorbert66918Ben HodgesToby HodgesSCYC1137(DNC)8433
8thOdyssey70857Seb MittonMitton Jr 8788‑10536
9th 56953Nicola WhiteGeorge Arthur & Bessie WhiteWLYC14(DNC)11104847
10thTraill of DestructionAUS 70840Paul TraillSaoirse & Jody TraillHISC54‑1611151550
11thSkittles70961Juliet CharlesEdith & Sebastian CharlesLittleton SC11(DNC)2DNCDNC54
12thHoneychu55997Ron Vass Reading SC911(DNF)911DNF58
13thTNT67933Teddy SprostonJacob & Zac ByrneSCYC‑191413139958
14thWizard66507Kitty PopeHattie PopeSCYC131310(DNC)131059
15thThetis69357Charles MerrickJames & Louie MerrickGreat Budworth12‑191815141271
16thCrazy Cat70002Poppy LucasHenry LucasSCYC‑18151214161673
17thWonder Woman70715Albert OwenFelix WordenSCYC1612912(DNC)DNC74
18thSlow White67472Henny AckernleyGuy AckernleySCYC171717(DNC)121477
19th 39508Phoebe HodgesMillie HodgesSCYC21(DNC)19DNC171395
20thLollipop28309Steve AllisonTeddy AllisonSCYC20161519(DNC)DNC95
21st 69876Jake SowerbyAlistair CaseyBurton SC22201416(DNC)DNC97

Gunter/Gaff Fleet Results:

PosBoatSail NoHelmCrewClubR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1stZarya69929Alan BennettEllie & Isabelle FletcherStaunton Harold SC11111(DNC)5
2ndTNT67933Teddy SprostonJacob & Zac ByrneSCYC‑63332112
3rdHoneychu55997Ron Vass Reading SC22(DNF)23DNF15
4thCrazy Cat70002Poppy LucasHenry LucasSCYC5424‑6419
5thThetis69357Charles MerrickJames & Louie MerrickGreat Budworth3‑8755222
6thSlow White67472Henny AckernleyGuy AckernleySCYC466(DNC)4323
7thLollipop28309Steve AllisonTeddy AllisonSCYC7558(DNC)DNC35
8th 69876Jake SowerbyAlistair CaseyBurton SC8946(DNC)DNC37
9thHei Hei55947Megan TurnerJulian TurnerOlton Mere SC97877(DNC)38

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