Osprey Scottish & Northerns at Kielder Water Sailing Club

Phil Angrave & Pete Smith win the Osprey Scottish and Northern Championship at Kielder Water © John Scullion

Thirteen Ospreys from all over the country assembled at Kielder Water Sailing Club for the Osprey Scottish and Northern Championships, sponsored by UBS Wealth Management.

Saturday was hot and sunny and the racing got underway in a northwesterly force 2. A big right shift caused some start line congestion, and the wind was very fluky around the windward mark. Towards the end of the second long beat the leading group consisted of Phil Angrave and Peter Smith (1281), Russell Gardner and Dave Slater (1114) and Viola and Mike Scott (1314). The Scotts got the break at the windward mark and took the race with Angrave/Smith second.

In the second race the wind firmed and settled into a more predictable westerly. Angrave/Smith dominated the race and Gardner/Slater overcame the Scotts to take second.

The club laid on dinner and a cosy evening over the beer and wine, and the tented city around the club house awoke on Sunday morning to greyer skies and the promise of more wind.

Alec Mamwell and Ian Little (1276) led for much of race 3, but Angrave/Smith and Gardner/Slater wore them down and they had to settle for third. In race 4 the wind continued to build to a nice force 4. Angrave/Smith remained in control but Rob Shaw/Brian Coates (1317) came through strongly to take second when the Scotts capsized on the gybe.

Angrave and Smith were able to sit out the final race. The wind built further and the shortened last race was sailed at a cracking pace in glorious Osprey conditions, with Mamwell/Little winning from Shaw/Coates with the Scotts third.

This was a very enjoyable event and thanks are due to the excellent race, patrol and galley teams who worked so hard to make it so.

Overall Results: