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Blithfield Barrel 2023/24 - Week 2

by Alastair Reid 12 Dec 2023 13:14 GMT 19 November 2023 - 18 February 2024

The weather forecast was accurate and the high winds had spent themselves overnight, revealing a benign on-shore Southerly of 5-9 knots and sporadic rain for race day. Despite missing some of the Merlins to their class event, 29 boats were on the water for the start of the first race.

The wind then built with gusts in the 20s but the start sequence proceeded smoothly right down to the final minute when the wind suddenly veered to the West and forced almost the entire fleet prematurely over the line. It then hit them with a punishing and sustained squall, recorded on shore at 35 knots. With some capsizes and the safety boats fully committed, the next 15 minutes were about resolving the on-water issues and making plans to recover the racing situation. Some 11 boats headed for shelter and despite some incidents close to the shore, all were safely recovered with no reports of injury or significant damage.

As is the way, it quickly calmed down and left a wind of around 11 knots from the SE. The course was adjusted to suit and the remaining 18 started cleanly. The 505 of Charlie Chandler and Owen Mills led the way throughout the 3 laps, their enormous orange spinnaker adding a real splash of colour to the grey overcast, and with a considerable gap back to the next boat, the Phantom of Adam Froggat. Nevertheless, the corrected time winners were Mike Senior and Ollie Goodhead in their GP14.

Lunch was Chilli Con-carne, a great choice for its warmth-generating properties. A delayed start to the second race was inevitable given the dramas of the first one and heading onto the water at 1420, the wind was 11 gusting 23 knots from the SW. A clean start however, was not on the cards, but a black flag saw success at the second time of asking. With glorious sunshine as the backdrop, the 505, once again, led the way and achieved line honours with Adam's Phantom not quite as close behind as in the first race. Most boats squeezed in 3 laps as the fading light fell across the reservoir.

The winners for the day were previous Barrel champions, Mike Senior and Ollie Goodhead, followed by Adam Froggat with Mark Hartley third. As in Round 1, Hartley Chandlers supplied additional prizes in the form of a generous quantity of useful bits of kit which were raffled between all the competitors.

Blithfield Barrel Round 2 Results:

PosClassSail NoHelmCrewPYClubR1R2Pts
1stGP1414168Mike SeniorOllie Goodhead1130SSSC112
2ndPHANTOM1449Adam Froggatt 1004Chasewater SC325
3rdSUPERNOVA1341Mark Hartley 1077Blithfield268
4thFINN5John Greenwood 1049Blithfield639
5thFINN0Andy Couch 1049Blithfield4711
6thPHANTOM1428Sam Coxon 1004Chasewater SC7512
7th5058881Charlie ChandlerOwen Hills903Tewkesbury SC5813
8thLARK2536Samuel BaileyHolly Evans1073SSSC10414
9thLASER/ ILCA 7PKPaul Keeling 1100Blithfield81119
10thSUPERNOVA1066Julian Bassett 1077Blithfield91322
11thGP1413868Oliver DumbeltonHarriet Dumbelton1130Nantwich BCSC141024
12thGP1413326Steve McCarthyGareth Thomas1130Blithfield121224
13thLASER RADIAL/ ILCA 6157393Harriet Temple 1147SSSC18927
14thSUPERNOVA1332Nick Woodhead 1077Blithfield161430
15thFLYING FIFTEEN3563Jim WattersonAndy Watterson1021Blithfield151530
16thOSPREY1333Doug RankinPaul Rankin930Blithfield171835
17thHORNET2189Justin JonesChris Anderson955Chasewater SC11 41
18thPHANTOM1370Duncan Adams 1004Burton SC13 43
19thSUPERNOVA1328Rob Swinnock 1077BlithfieldRET1645
20thGP1413120Rosie GrittithIsaac Shirley1130BlithfieldRET1746
21stWAYFARER10168Lara GrittithOllie Green1102BlithfieldRET 59
21stJavelin579C SagarN Reid944BlithfieldRET 59
21stPHANTOM1301Matt Pritchard 1004Burton SCRET 59
21stLASER/ ILCA 7213809Paul Powell 1100BlithfieldRET 59
21stHADRON H2105Peter Slater 1034BlithfieldRET 59
21stGP1413813Peter ThomsDawn Frost1130Nantwich BCSCRET 59
21stMERLIN‑ROCKET3716Steve LeneyGill Leney980BlithfieldRET 59
21stOSPREY1363Rob BurdekinAl Raynard930BlithfieldRET 59
21stLASER RADIAL/ ILCA 6217835Henry Walker 1147BlithfieldRET 59

The next Barrel race (third of four) is on 14th Jan 2024. Entry can be found here.