Results / Open Weir Wood SC - 09/07/2016

Weir Wood S C RS 200 Open Saturday 9th July

A select group of two local boats and five visitors were greeted by a warm F3-5 Westerly blowing straight down the lake. This was remarkably variable in strength and direction meaning the sailors had to keep their heads out of the boat to negotiate the many  lulls and backers.

The race officer Ernie Hatton set a course for the first race that looked a true windward leeward, but within seconds of the start the wind flicked left. David Jessop and Sophie Mear who started at the pin had a clear lead at the first mark only to be hauled in before the leeward gate by Julian Bradley and Helen Cafferata. This set the tone for the rest of the race with these two battling it out for the lead followed by John Ramshaw and Mark Harrington as first local boat in third. David and Sophie were back in the lead at the finish.

As expected the course was shifted left for race two and John and Mark read the beat correctly to lead from David and Sophie for the first lap. It was becoming obvious that Weir Wood was imitating Garda in that you had to head for the north bank of the lake as soon as you rounded the windward mark to pick up a long planing run on starboard. This resulted in a lot of place changes, but by the finish it was David and Sophie followed by John and Mark with Martin and Julie Pascoe in third.

After lunch the expected increase in wind to 28kts had not materialised so it was more of the same. Three boats pulled away from the rest and the finishing order for the first five was exactly the same as the second race. Despite this there were some very tight, close fought battles throughout the race.

David and Sophie had won the regatta, but had to really fight in the final race. David Beaney  and Hannah Liptrot who was sailing only her second regatta in the 200 read the first run corrrectly to lead at the end of the first lap. Julian and Hannah were also back at the front again, but you guessed it David and Sophie came through to win at the end.

Martin Pascoe