Results / Open Delph SC - 07/04/2018

The Sailing Chandlery sponsored 2018 RS200 Northern tour kicked off at Delph SC on Saturday 7^th April.

The weather was less than ideal with rain and next to no wind greeting the ten competing boats.

Shortly before the start of the first race the wind filled in swung around to the North providing a port biased start line and a lob sided beat and run.  It was a case of whoever won the start won the race and in the first race it was Martin & Sian Joesbury who took an early lead and pulled away throughout the race.  Russel & Vicky Page rounded the first mark second with Jon Chapman & Wendy Martin third.  There were no place changes amongst the top three resulting in a Budworth 1-2-3 at the finish.

The second race took place in similar conditions and this time it was Jon & Wendy that won the start never to be headed again.  The Joesburys were second round the windward mark with the Pages third and the race finished in the same order.

After lunch, the wind had increased in strength to the top end of a force 2 and it almost became sitting out weather.  With a change of windward mark and a much squarer start line, the racing was much more open and competitive.  Only to a point though, as the ever consistent Joesburys pulled away again to take their second bullet to win the event with a race to spare.  Sam & Tim Waller sailed well to take second with Louise McKeand & Cathy Partington in third.

The final race saw a significant drop in the wind strength both before and during the race.  The race was shortened at the end of the first lap.  Martin & Barbara Smith who had been having a quiet day by their standards seemed to have a magnetic attraction to what little wind there was, picking up a zephyr shortly before the windward mark to round in third and then finding more wind than anyone else on the run to pull through into the lead and take the win.  Alex & Olivia Leonard justified their trip down from the Lakes to finish second with Jon & Wendy third.

Jon & Wendy’s third place was sufficient to give them second overall with Russell and Vicky sailing consistently to take third overall resulting in the day finishing the way it had started with a Budworth 1-2-3.

As part of their Sponsorship package, Sailing Chandlery are providing a £20 voucher as a raffle prize at each event on the Northern Tour with Jon Chapman being the lucky winner.

The Northern Tour would like to thank Sailing Chandlery for their support for this year’s series.

Jon Ward