GP14 Northern Bell event at Budworth Sailing Club

Spinnaker time - GP14 Northern Bell at Budworth © Northern Powerhouse Media

A very memorable day was had by all at Budworth on Sunday 1st June in what turned out to be an eventful GP14 Open Meeting. The day had been eagerly anticipated at the Mere and, with 25 boats entered, 20 of which were from the club, competition at all levels was guaranteed.

Days before the event the forecast was looking like it might be cancelled but fortunately the wind dropped just enough to make sailing possible, and certainly exciting! On the day the strong wind from the SSW was gusty but enabled PRO Jon Chapman to use the entire length of the mere with a decent downwind leg for spinnaker time.

There was a real buzz the dinghy park whilst rigging and launching with a combination of excitement and trepidation for the time on the water which, by then, was beginning to resemble the sea!

Race 1

First upwind leg of Race 1 - GP14 Northern Bell at Budworth - photo © Northern Powerhouse Media

The first race saw 21 boats set off cleanly in a 18-20 knot breeze. The gusty conditions kept the rib teams busy with multiple capsizes and a few burgees lost to the Mere. Rounding the top mark first was Sam Watson and Matt Birks closely followed by Russel and Ali Cormack then Bill Kenyon and Mathew Williams.

Competition in the middle of the pack was also close with places changing by the minute. The downwind leg proved a game changer for those bold enough to put the spinnaker up - especially when the wind rotated to more of a reach.

Over the course of the race Russel and Ali Cormack took the lead as the top three gradually pulled away from the rest of the fleet. The race was keenly contested until the end when Sam Watson and Matt Birks managed to take back the lead and win Race 1 with Russel and Ali in second and Mark Platt and Chris Jobson third.

Sam Watson and Matt Birks take Race 1 - GP14 Northern Bell at Budworth - photo © Northern Powerhouse Media

One of the most impressive performances in the first race was from the youth duo Finlay Waterhouse and Matthew Baird who came in fifth - definitely ones to watch in the future! Despite a spread of dunkings across the fleet, 19 boats finished the first race and headed in for a most welcomed lunch.

Race 2

The wind kicked up a gear just before the second start with gusts up to 30 knots. All was going well for Sam Watson and Matt Birks, looking to secure a second win when the forces of nature and maxed-out kicker proved too much for the boom and it snapped in two!

Undeterred by this, the other, now 16, boats set off up the mere. Russel and Ali Cormack rounded the top mark first with Bill Kenyon and Mathew Williams in hot pursuit. The downwind leg was a real masterclass in spinnaker control and a genuine spectacle to watch! The PRO, realising that the competitors were tiring and the wind building, shortened the course to 2 laps.

Montri Brusselers and David Beesley battled it out with Dave Morris and Alistair Rimmer in the middle of the fleet until Dave and Alistair capsized at the top mark and added another burgee to the mud of the Mere!

Confidently mastering the conditions, Russ and Ali Cormack took first place, followed by Bill and Matthew then Mark and Chris.

Competition at all levels - GP14 Northern Bell at Budworth - photo © Northern Powerhouse Media

After two exhausting races it was tea-time and everyone tucked in to some excellent freshly made scones with strawberries and cream cakes - always popular with the home fleet and visitors to Budworth!

Race 3?

With the wind ever-increasing, just putting the sails up was a challenge! The race was postponed and the fleet held on shore to wait for a 34 knot gust to blow through. The wind abated a bit, and the fleet launched only to be hit with another band of wind in excess of 30 knots. With no sign of the wind moderating and thick black clouds approaching, The PRO took the decision to quit whilst we were ahead and abandon the final race. A difficult call, but definitely in the best interests of all competitors.

Fortunately, with two races run already, there were plenty of qualifiers and points for the Northern Bell. Getting full marks for resilience, and undeterred by the conditions, was Chris Gill and his daughter Juliette. They were justly awarded the Bronze Fleet Trophy.

Having completed both races and achieving 13th place overall were Simon Henshall and Liam Dempster who received a special prize of sailing watches thanks to Dave Harvey at Marine13.com.

Monti Brusselers and David Beesley topped the Silver fleet with an impressive 8th place overall.

Third place overall went to Bill Kenyon and Mathew Williams with second place going to Mark Platt and Chris Jobson. First overall, and taking the Budworth Plate, were Russel and Ali Cormack with a truly impressive performance on a difficult day.

Taking the event as a whole, what struck me most of all was the determination of all competitors to go out in testing conditions, take the capsizes when they came, and just keep going! The day proved that you really can have a blast at Budworth!

Overall Results: