D-Zero Open at Ogston Sailing Club

Ogston D-Zero Open © Mike Cook

Ogston welcomed eight visiting D-Zeros, who joined two local boats for the joint D-Zero and Challenger Open on 3 and 4 October. Although the forecast promised light north-westerly winds on Saturday and slightly stronger south-westerlies on Sunday, the weekend began in excellent spirits, with Friday arrivals camping and vanning, and enjoying a pie-and-pea supper and plenty of beer.

Saturday morning greeted the fleet with still, mirror-like water, but Race Officer Andy Gomm remained optimistic that racing would be possible. As the morning progressed, encouraging ripples began to appear. The plan was to complete one race before lunch, then return for two more in the afternoon if the breeze continued to build.

Race 1 - The breeze ranged from two to five knots and, in classic Ogston style, shifted across the course, giving the fleet a lively tactical challenge. Once the course was set, racing got under way. Several sailors contested the favoured pin end while the rest of the fleet started nearer the committee boat. Richard Bryant led around the windward mark, closely followed by Wil Hitchman and Jon Bassett, but the chasing boats reeled them in downwind. The lead changed at every mark, producing an absorbing contest that ended with Wil Hitchman taking the win, Rohan Daniels second and Jon B third.

Ogston D-Zero Open - photo © Mike Cook

Race 2 - Dave Valentine was eager for a quick start and chose the port end, joined at the pin by Rohan while the rest of the fleet favoured the committee boat end. Dave and Rohan appeared to have timed it perfectly, catching a helpful lift that allowed them to tack across the fleet. A subsequent wind shift brought the committee-boat starters back into contention, setting up a busy starboard windward-mark rounding. As in Race 1, positions changed throughout, with Wil, Jon B, Richard and Liz Potter all making the most of the conditions. On the second beat, Wil headed towards the jetty, while Liz, Richard and Jon B chose the middle. Rohan looked for a different opportunity along the far bank, and the move paid off: he sailed over the boats in the middle and reached the windward mark just ahead of Wil. Rohan went on to win, with Richard second and Jon B third.

With the light breeze fading, the decision was made to finish racing for the day and schedule three back-to-back races for Sunday morning. Overnight leader and local sailor Rohan then swapped the racecourse for bar duties, helping everyone enjoy a lively and sociable evening, with a sausage casserole and Bakewell to energise the racers, before returning ready to race the next day.

Sunday dawned with even lighter winds and a thick fog over the water. As the sun rose, the fog lifted and a southerly breeze began to settle in, offering encouraging signs for the three races ahead and edging towards the forecast south-westerly.

Ogston D-Zero Open - photo © Mike Cook

Race 3 - The fleet launched in around five knots of breeze, which was more consistent than Saturday and came from a direction that allowed a longer course to be set. Everyone raised their game, and the fleet remained impressively close for most of the race. Richard eventually found the pace to create some space, sailing clear to take the win ahead of Wil and Jon B.

Race 4 - The breeze shifted to the forecast south-westerly, opening up even more water and allowing the fleet to enjoy a broader racecourse. A competitive start saw Dave and Rohan pushed over the line early by Jon Wood, sending both around the pin end before they set off on port tack to battle back into contention. Jon B delivered a strong performance to secure the win, with Wil second and Jon W earning a hard-fought third.

Ogston D-Zero Open - photo © Mike Cook

Race 5 - With the discard coming into play after Race 4, everything remained open, with the top four boats separated by only three points. The racing was once again exceptionally close, with positions changing throughout. Seven or eight boats converged at the leeward mark, where Rohan secured mark room over the group. When his breeze faded immediately after the rounding, the fleet compressed and then split on the next beat: Liz and Wil headed up the starboard side, while the others chose the middle. Liz and Wil found their own pocket of wind and carried it to the windward mark, opening a valuable gap. Liz led with Wil chasing hard towards the leeward mark, but her choice of finish-line end created an opportunity for Wil to take the win. Liz secured second place and Jon W finished third.

Despite the wind challenges, the weekend was full of incredibly close racing, one mistake or one missed shift would cost a few places.

Ogston D-Zero Open - photo © Mike Cook

Thank you's: Andy Gomm for being RO; Andrea for the food; Mike Cook for the photos (and credits); the Challenger fleet for sharing this event; and Rohan for the report and welcome from all the Ogston team.

Overall Results: