Snipe Open at Blue Circle Sailing Club

Thirteen Snipe crews gathered at Blue Circle Sailing Club for the first event in the UK calendar on 4-5 June. The wind strength varied from force 2 to 5 gusting 6 and blew generally across the narrower width of the lake. Course setting was therefore quite difficult for Race Officer Derrick Crouch, as the windward leg had to be set through the shallow areas in the middle of the lake.

The wind was strongest on Saturday for the first race, forcing a number of retirements including an unfortunate broken mast for Orkney visitors Neil Foubister and Graham Laughton. Iain and Richard Marshall posted their intent with the first of five bullets, in a near clean sweep. Ian Knight and Graham Hoy made it a Maldon 1-2.

In the second race the Marshalls defended a strong challenge from Alan Williams and Liz Crouch. In the third race the mud came into play at the first windward leg. After much verbal protestations, the Marshalls did a penalty, which promoted Williams into first, and Richard and Nicky Lambert into second place.

On Sunday, Marshall again saw off the challenge of Williams to take another gun. Sue Roberts and Mike Kerr posted a fourth in close tactical racing. The fifth race was led from gun to gun by Marshall, with Lambert in second and an excellent third from senior citizen John Love, crewed by Chris Surridge. Having already secured overall victory, the Marshalls demonstrated their dominance with another first, but the battle for second was close fought with the lead changing hands several times between Williams and the Lamberts, with the home crew eventually prevailing, as Brian and Ian Gregory gate-crashed the ‘match race’ to finish third in their new Persson Snipe.

Overall Results: