Kestrel Open at Hickling Broad Sailing Club
by Rod Brown-Lee 5 Apr 2004 00:10 BST
3rd/4th April 2004
A good blast at the Hickling Kestrel open © Rod Brown-Lee
The Kestrel fleet arrived at Hickling Broad for some stiff exercise over the 3rd/ 4th April. With the wind blowing southwesterly, the fleet rigged in the peace of the Hickling dinghy compound. After launching for the first race, the intrepid sailors reached gently down the main channel and were suddenly blasted across the broad in a Force six.
Racing over the Saturday consisted of a regularly fluctuating wind of between F2-F6. Regulars at Hickling will be well aware of the shallowness of the broad. This did not prevent the entire fleet from consistently parking in the putty. The Race Officer had thoughtfully placed the leeward mark as a gybe, immediately outside the main windows of the clubhouse. Ardent swimmers found the water to be waist deep, which allowed for rapid recoveries after entertaining the gallery.
The racing was dominated by the local Hickling paring, current National Champions, Paul Jarvey and Kate Hearsum who collected four bullets with a masterful display of heavy wind sailing. James Jarvey and Ian Bray also delivered a consistent performance with a collection of second places. Rod Brown-Lee and Ian Hanson completed a collection of excellent splash and go’s, to come home third overall.
Many thanks are due to HBSC from an exhausted Kestrel fleet for a fabulous weekend of brisk, heavy weather racing... with no damage!
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat Type | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Kestrel | 1548 | Paul Jarvey | Kate Hearsum | Hickling Broad S.C. | 4 |
| 2nd | Kestrel | 1550 | James Jarvey | Ian Bray | Hickling Broad S.C. | 8 |
| 3rd | Kestrel | 1573 | Rod Brown-Lee | Ian Hanson | Broadwater S.C. | 14 |