Lightning 368 Open at Bartley Sailing Club

Stephen, Jeremy & Allison during the Bartley Lightning 368 Open © Elanwy Hopkins

Bartley Lightning 368 Open © Elanwy Hopkins

Bryan Westley during the Bartley Lightning 368 Open © Elanwy Hopkins

Twelve visitors joined a single local boat at the Bartley SC Lightning 368 Open on May 12th. The fleet were greeted with a south-easterly but shifty wind which was to prove challenging for all.

In the first race Penny showed a clean pair of heels at the start leaving the fleet chasing for the rest of the race. Tony, Duncan, Simon and Jeremy were doing their utmost to not let Penny open up too large a gap and eventually Tony broke free slightly from the group and started to close in on Penny with Jeremy and Simon not far behind.

It remained that way for the rest of the race right up to the final beat into the finish line where Tony had almost managed to close the gap. However, Jeremy, and only Jeremy, found a superb starboard lift and in the space of a few hundred meters managed to completely close the gap between Tony and Penny managing to split the two over the finish line.

Special mention to Alison who doggedly sailed her own race to achieve one of her best ever results in an open, although Duncan did match race her to the finish line to just stay ahead (he did apologize for this tactic at lunch)

After lunch the second race got under way with Penny, Jeremy and Tony managing to pull clear and open a small gap on the rest of the fleet with Tony managing to open up a larger gap by the windward mark. However, this was quickly closed by both Penny and Jeremy on the first run.

Following some minor confusion over which side to leave a mark, Penny and Jeremy unfortunately lost some ground leaving Tony clear ahead. As the wind picked up slightly Tony managed to maintain his lead to the finish with Penny getting the best of Jeremy to take second.

By the start of the third race the wind had shifted more southerly and from the start Simon pulled away and opened a sizeable gap from the rest of the fleet. The wind was very shifty around the windward mark which allowed the fleet to bunch back up but Simon managed to maintain his lead. It remained this way for the rest of the first lap with Jeremy and Tony slowly chipping away at Simon's lead with Penny not far behind.

The shifting winds made the rounding of the mark at the start of the second lap difficulty with Simon and Tony deciding to take a starboard tack and Jeremy opting for what turned out the better choice of going to port. By the windward mark Jeremy had overhauled Simon to take the lead with Tony now in third behind Simon. It remained this way for the rest of the lap with Penny quietly closing on the leading three.

At the start of the third lap and the beat to the first windward mark, Jeremy again decided to take the port tack which worked so well for him before and this time Simon followed him. However, Tony and Penny went for starboard which due to the shifting wind this time round turned out to be the right choice allowing them to make up considerable ground on Jeremy and Simon. However, it meant that coming into the mark Tony was on port with Jeremy on starboard. Tony pushed a little to hard and ended up having to take a penalty which allowed Penny and Simon to slip by.

It was then a drag race on the reach to the finish line where Jeremy just managed to hold on to his lead and beat Penny by a boat length. Meanwhile Tony managed to get windward side of Simon and just pull in front of him to take third.

Overall Results:

Sailors at the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler

Jeremy Cooper wins the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler

Penny Yarwood finishes 2nd in the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler

Tony Jacks finishes 3rd in the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler

Duncan Cheshire, 1st Silver Fleet in the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler

Jason Gallagher, mid-fleet special in the Bartley Lightning 368 Open - photo © John Butler