OK Dinghy open meeting at Ardleigh Sailing Club

A competitive fleet of 13 Oks including three of the top four from the recent national championships at the arrived at Ardleigh Sailing Club on Saturday 15th September for three races in generally light but extremely shifty conditions. There was a warning that the wind direction was not the best for Ardleigh. However Steve Eade managed to run three hotly contested races.

Jonathan Fish and Toby Ramsey pulled clear in the first race, swapping positions throughout. By the final mark Will Turner and Daniel Ager had caught up sufficiently to be able to attack Fish and Ramsey on the short final beat to the finish. Fish and Ager carried on and Ramsey and Turner tacked off. When the four boats re-converged, Fish who had been leading was unable to clear the starboard tack boats and tacked away. Ager ducked them and was able to cross the line in first having lost no time in having to tack again. All four boats crossed the line within a second of each other. Turner was second, Fish third and Ramsey after all his efforts an unlucky fourth.

The second race was led for the first round by Ager who then lost his way with the shifts. Fish and national champion Lee Child sailed through upwind. Managing to fall out of his boat on a particularly big header didn't slow Child up too much. He finished second with Fish first and Robert Deaves third.

After a fantastic lunch of shepherds pie (and something for the vegetarians) followed by apple crumble and custard the final deciding race got underway. Will Turner, closely followed by Ager pulled away from the rest of the fleet. Will led until the end of the second beat when a bit more breeze and a favourable wind shift let Ager through who then pulled away to establish a comfortable lead. Child had caught up with Turner and for the next couple of laps they were racing for second and third.

Will though is a canny sort as shown in the first race and with a couple of hundred yards to go split tacks with Child, with Lee sailing towards the direction of the finish line. Ager was less than fifty yards or so from the line in breeze. What could possibly go wrong for him? As it turned out, Will was able to cross ahead to win the race and the event, the result of the last race being all important. Ager finished second overall and Jonathan Fish third.

Ardleigh SC put on good days racing that was shared with the Enterprises. As always they provided a very friendly welcome and with a homemade lunch and tea included in the very reasonable entry fee, it made for a day well spent.

Results:

1. GBR 2045, Will Turner 3
2. GBR 2120, Dan Ager 3
3. GBR 2152, Jon Fish 5
4. GBR 2151, Lee Child 6
5. GBR 2075, Paul Contstable 8
6. GBR 2138, Robert Deaves 8