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Noble Marine 2022 YY - LEADERBOARD

West Kirby Sailing Club Frostbite Series Day 1

by Liz Potter 28 Oct 2024 16:48 GMT 27 October 2024
Holly Wright in IC 333 during West Kirby Sailing Club Frostbite Series Day 1 © Liz Potter

Sunday morning dawned sunny with a pleasant breeze at West Kirby Sailing Club. 25 boats gathered on the marine lake apron for the first two races of the 14-race frostbite series, which finishes in early December.

Of those competing, 9 were newly graduated novices from this season's "Starting to Race" group; a program which started last winter. The training has been driven by Tony Marston, an International Canoe (IC) sailor with over 50 years of top level racing experience, as a plan to build up the current club handicap racing fleet. One of his novices, Judith Carter had even attended her first open event and also the Lightning Nationals in her first year. She was present on Sunday, along with 4 other Lightnings; the fastest growing class at West Kirby at the moment, thanks to the efforts of Jude and Richard Stratton.

The RO Liz Potter was challenged with the South Westerly wind direction across the long thin lake, making a windward leg tricky. The reaching start provided much entertainment, with a few individuals electing to return to the line as OCS, even though they were not over at the start. The culprit was a lone Lightning who had ventured too far to windward and was stuck in irons, creating a little havoc for the fleet post-start.

Of the returning boats, Phantom sailor Andrew Potter whooshed in a ghoulish twirl around the windward line buoy and set off with ghostly speed to chase after the departed fleet. The Laser 2000 of Mike and Anne St Paer also returned and worked hard to recover to 5th place overall on handicap.

New Rules IC sailor Steve Fleming made a more cautious start, chasing Andrew in the Phantom. Once the wind picked up, he enjoyed some speedy chill time on his sliding seat on the comparatively longer downwind legs. Until he met Judith.

To set the scene, by mid-race, the faster boats were encountering the slower boats. The competition was equally fierce in this part of the fleet, with a gaggle of laser radials and lightnings in a tight line approaching their mark on starboard tack. Enter one Steve Fleming in a very bright yellow fast canoe, on port tack, looking for a way across the motorway. Steve picked his victim unwisely, not realising that ex-novice Nationals competitor Judith knew her rights (and lefts for that matter). Judith had to take some serious boat-saving avoidance manoeuvres that were going to cost Steve dearly in flowers, wine and possibly dinner too.

Meanwhile the Phantom disappeared.

Leading the rest of the fleet was the IC of Tony Marston, sailed by Canoe newbie Holly Wright. Showing great skill and dexterity, nerve and balance, plus a sprinkle of Canoe insanity that is the hallmark of this fleet, young Holly showed the old and the mighty what a force to be reckoned with she has become, building on her recent win of the Club's Endeavor Trophy against the club's top sailors this autumn.

Another front runner was Martin Hartley in his Solo, who was never lower than 6th place on the water in both of the days' races.

The second race involved a change of course as the wind swung around, allowing two upwind legs per lap. The new course favoured the lasers, with Steve Jardine bagging a 2nd and the GP14 sailed by Alan Jenkins and Bob Thompson, who finished 4th on handicap.

The Phantom and Solo continued to dominate, with Martin Hartley (Solo 5794) leading the series with a 2,1, and Andrew Potter in Phantom 1456 lying a point behind after a 1,3. Steve Fleming was 3rd overall. With a long series ahead, anything can happen as new leaders and challengers wait to emerge.

Results after Day 1:

PosBoat NameClassSail NoHelm / CrewPYR1R2Pts
1stSide WinderSolo5794Martin Hartley1152213
2nd Phantom1456Andrew Potter1000134
3rdMoney4NuffinInt Canoe338Steve Fleming930369
4thIn Our PrimeGP1414153Alan Jenkins/Bob Thompson11386410
5thPrime NumberLaser 200021487Mike & Anne de St Paer11185712
6thSensationALAlbacore8234John Carlin10538513
7th Laser Radial195Ioannis Koutsokeras114741014
8thForkedLightning 368439Jude Stratton11629918
9th Laser Radial216509Steve Shallcroft114771421
10th Laser Radial1251Alex Elliott1147101121
11th Laser183942John Underwood1106111223
12th RS 100 8.4128Paul Dowman1004121325
13thDeecisiveLaser309Steve Jardine1106DNC227
14th Laser71Henk Thomas1106131528
15th Lightning 3682Judith Carter1162141630
16th Laser218272Tom Green1106DNC833
17th Laser Radial45Wendy Shallcroft1147161834
18thWhite KnightInt Canoe OD333Tony Marston940152035
19th Laser219366 1106171936
20th Lightning 368226Gill Hall1162201737
21st Lightning 368209Amy Watkin116218RET41
22nd Lightning 36895Roberta Piroddi1162212142
23rdEgretAlbacore8074Dave Ashworth105319DNC44
24thZippy ZeroD‑Zero333Liz Potter1043OODOOD45