Cowes Dinghy Week 2014
by Mike Martin 1 Aug 2014 18:39 BST
26-30 July 2014
After mostly gentle breezes, the 40th anniversary Cowes Dinghy Week ran from 26 – 30 July in perfect sailing weather, with several class results poised to be decided on the last race.
Tightest finish was provided by the RS100 class, with Giles Peckham and Brett Aarons both looking for a high placing to win and Giles prevailing by a single place and a single point. Class guru and Club Commodore Mark Harrison was third.
Robin Leather won the Shadow cats with a final bullet, but then it was close between Carl Blenkinsop and Jules Salter until Jules speared it in downwind, whereupon Carl dropped his spinnaker and sailed carefully to the line to make sure of second.
Barry Byham's newly-restored Osprey sailed serenely to a win in the medium group, but the last race and second place overall went to Sophie and William Heritage, which earned Sophie the John Davis Trophy for best progress.
Bob Preston finished ahead of Keith Hayden on Wednesday to take the fast group honours, with the RS800 of Ashley Holmes and James Gadsby third.
The RS group contained a clutch of RS500s which Graham Deegan and Judith French's RS400 could not shake off. They had to settle for third place behind visitors Tim Wilkins and Michiel Gierling.
Cordelia Ellis and Sam Metcalf were scrapping for second Radial behind Ted Blowers, which Cordelia clinched with a second place in the last race, and with it the Lady's Trophy.
There was a multi-club leader board in the Lasers, in which local Harry Blowers made his bid for the Yachts and Yachting Trophy for best performance. However, this cup went to Haydn Sewell and Oliver Evans in the slow group who were unbeaten throughout.
Besides a mountain of volunteer effort headed this year by Vice Commodore Judith French, the event relies on sponsorship to be able to handle some 100 entries from 6 local and mainland clubs plus a busy social programme, and Gurnard SC is grateful to Lancasters for this support and also to Henri Lloyd, Marineware and LDC for prizes and contributions.
Sophie French won the Endeavour Trophy for combining a sterling contribution to daily shoreside work with full participation in the racing.
Overall Results:
RS Aero
1 David Rickard (Datchet)
2 Martin Bean
3 Jane Peckham
Shadow cats
1 Robin Leather
2 Carl Blenkinsop
3 Jules Salter
RS100
1 Giles Peckham
2 Brett Aarons
3 Mark Harrison
Laser Standard
1 Harry Blowers
2 Dave Freeman (QMSC)
3 Bryan Sargent (Blackwater SC)
Laser Radial
1 Ted Blowers
2 Cordelia Ellis
3 Sam Metcalf
RS Handicap
1 Tim & Heather Wilkins
2 Michiel & Hilde Gierling (NED)
3 Graham Deegan/Judith French
Fast Handicap
1 Bob Preston
2 Keith Hayden
3 Ashley Holmes/James Gadsby
Medium Handicap
1 Barry Byham/Chris Gillies
2 Sophie & William Heritage
3 Orion Shuttleworth
Slow Handicap
1 Hayden Sewell/Oliver Evans
2 Archie Goodwin (Bembridge SC)
3 Mike Peddar