Optimist Open at Burghfield Sailing Club
by BSC 6 Feb 2009 16:33 GMT
31 January 2009
168 hardy sailors for the Burghfield Optimist open © Phil Harland
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168 hardy sailors battle for honours at a cold and breezy Burghfield
A cold and breezy day welcomed 168 hardy competitors to Burghfield Sailing Club, a small lake next to the M4 near Reading, for its Winter Optimist Open on 31st January. Competitors aged between 7 and 15 years came from as far away as Cornwall, North Wales, Yorkshire, Scotland and the Norfolk Broads to battle for honours through freezing temperatures and a testing easterly wind in what was probably the country’s largest single class open meeting ever. With sailors split into four separate fleets based on their ability, close racing was assured. After four races in an easterly wind ranging from 12 to 17 knots, the overall champion in the Gold Fleet was Sophie Hamilton (Burghfield SC). Silver Fleet was won by James Taylor (Burghfield SC) and Bronze Fleet by Ellen Greenwell (Warsash SC). In the regatta fleet Jennifer Lorimer (Warsash SC) came home in first place. Many of the sailors enjoyed taking home excellent prizes thanks to the generous sponsorship of Sew Your Gear, Snow and Rock, Mayday Chandlery and Optimist Online.
The competitors arrived to a building easterly wind that allowed the PRO to use the full length of Burghfield Lake. An S-style course had been laid of three beats and two runs with short reaches. Race 1 got away cleanly and the gusty and shifty conditions combined with the infamous Burghfield islands made for numerous place changes up the first beat. By the windward mark it was very close with nothing between the leading sailors. In the Gold Fleet Zoe Parkinson (who had come all the way from Guernsey) and Aaron Holman (Hollowell) battled for the lead, with Aaron making good use of the shifts and just edging ahead on the final beat to win the first race.
Once the Gold Fleet were away the Silver fleet were started followed by the Bronze Fleet. In the Silver Fleet the first race went to Sarah Norbury (South Staffs), followed by James Taylor (Burghfield) and then Benjamin Waha (Royal Southern). In the Bronze fleet Burghfield’s Matt Thornton missed the leeward mark but quickly realised his mistake, unwound himself and worked hard to finish second to Jessica Eales (Lymington).
With sailors growing in confidence and pushing the line, race two got under way under the black flag, catching out three sailors in the Gold Fleet. At the end of the first beat David Pain (Cardiff Bay) held a lead down the extra loop which took the fleet on a long run back towards the start boat. Over the next two legs Sophie Hamilton (Burghfield) gradually reigned in David to draw level as they started the final beat as some of the fleet started dropping off the pace in the increasingly gusty conditions. The final beat was nip and tuck with Sophie and David tacking on each other to the finish. Sophie eventually took line honours with David second and Josh Sparks (Royal Lymington) in a close third.
Race 2 for the Silver Fleet saw a clean start and close racing along the full length of course with several changes at the front on each beat. Hugo Andrews (Hayling Island) came home in first followed by Martin Wrigley (Llangorse) and Ross Mackey (Spinnaker).
For the Bronze Fleet the second and third races were punctuated by lunch ashore, but the break did nothing to upset Ellen Greenwell (Warsash) who led both races from start to finish. She tested the resolve of the PRO as she closed the 100m gap to the back of the Gold Fleet, but was kind enough to relinquish the overlap just before the finish to save the blushes of the National squaddies! Oliver Morrell (Spinnaker) also decided to repeat the symmetry in these two races with matching 3rds.
It was back to the start and straight into the sequence for race 3 with the black flag flying again for the Gold Fleet. However, this didn’t stop a general recall and six sailors were caught course side. The fleet got away cleanly on the second attempt using the same course as the second race but with a longer run almost back to the start boat. It was the Hamilton sisters side by side with Issy just holding the inside line round the buoy to start the second beat ahead. Behind them the rest of the fleet closed up down the long run with the second beat being almost a re-start. By the end of the third beat the Hamilton sisters had been caught by Matt Whitfield (Penarth) who was now lying second. Up the final beat another tacking duel ensued with Matt managing to pull through to take first place from Sophie with Issy coming in 3rd. Tarra Gill-Taylor (Spinnaker) finished 4th continuing his great set of consistent results.
The Silver Fleet had a course change for race 3 which incorporated a loop from the first windward mark back to the start, adding an extra long beat and run. A pack comprising Taylor, Wrigley, Doust, Williams and Callum Lambourn pulled away from the main fleet on the second beat, with James Taylor (Burghfield) eventually pulling clear to take the win from Martin Wrigley (Llangorse) then Dyfan Williams (Mumbles).
With all the timings going to plan, a slightly longer course was set for the Gold Fleet comprising of two loops on the middle leg. Tarra Gill-Taylor (Spinnaker) sailed well up the first beat to round the windward mark in first place closely pursued by a gaggle of other sailors all with a chance for a top place finish. Tarra held his nerve and slightly extended his lead on the next couple of legs, leading the fleet round the tricky extra rounds. Up the penultimate beat Tarra over-stood the port lay-line allowing a couple of boats to come in from the right. It was very close going into the last two legs and at the finish it was David Pain (Cardiff Bay) taking the win followed closely by Charlie Cox (Royal Lymington) and Tarra.
Keeping the same course for the Silver Fleet, race 4 saw Sara Doust (Cardiff Bay) lead the fleet up the first beat in increasingly cold and shifty conditions. Sara held onto the lead to the finish, fending off several challenges up the final beat, followed by Callum Lambourn (Swarkestone) then James Taylor (Burghfield).
The increasing wind played to the strengths of David Brand (Papercourt) in Bronze Fleet, who came home in 1st place first to seal 2nd overall with 8 points. A 3rd place in the fourth race for Ellen Greenwell (Warsash) produced a series of 5 points, making her the Bronze fleet winner, this was a well deserved result from a sailor who has worked extremely hard over the past year.
In the regatta fleet sixteen hardy and plucky 7 to 13 year olds took part in 4 hours of cold winter sailing over 5 races on a rectangular course. Race 1 saw the sailors finding their way around the course with Jennifer Lorimer (Warsash) holding onto an early lead to win the race. Sophie Heritage (Yarmouth) came in 2nd and Jack Mitchell (HISC) 3rd. Race 2 had Sophie gaining her first win of the day, subsequently winning Race 4, with Alex King (Warsash) 2nd and Jennifer 3rd.
In the afternoon, the racing was hotting up (unlike the race officer), with sailors closely contending the lead. Race 3 saw Jack having his first win of the day with Jennifer 2nd and Joshua Waha (Royal Southern) 3rd. Race 4 brought some very close racing with Sophie, Alex & Jennifer gaining 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Finally race 5 saw Peter Baddeley (Burghfield) take the lead off the line, but fall back to second place behind Jack by the windward mark. By the finish Peter was 3rd with Jenny 2nd and Jack 1st.
The end of the day came with very few retirements, though a fair few capsizes, but no protests. Hats off to the girls who won 3 out of 4 fleets. Congratulations go to Sophie Hamilton (Burghfield) in the Gold Fleet, Ellen Greenwell (Warsash) in the Bronze Fleet, and Jenny Lorimer (Warsash) in the Regatta fleet. Not that this detracts from James Taylor (Burghfield) who triumphed in the Silver Fleet. The sailors all did exceptionally well in the testing conditions and the day showed that Optimist sailing at club open events continues to go from strength to strength.