IOM Belton Trophy at Chelmsford Radio Yacht Club
by Geoff Appleton 27 Feb 2017 11:33 GMT
19 February 2017
IOM Belton Trophy at Chelmsford © Geoff Appleton
Chelmsford Radio Yacht Club hosted the Belton Trophy and Round 1 of the Eastern District IOM Championship Series (EDCS) on Sunday 19th February 2017.
The day started with a moderate, westerly breeze blowing at the Blackwater Sailing Club practice lake.
By 9.45am the briefing took place under clear blue skies and pleasant winter sunshine. The course was set and explained to the assembled 14 skippers who had travelled from as far as Norfolk and Eastbourne to join the local Essex sailors, by race officer Graham Childs.
An Olympic triangle and sausage course was sailed for the first race and with one buoys slight relocation this course remained for the rest of the day.
The sky changed from blue to grey and back again throughout the day but it remained dry.
The tricky course and conditions resulted in 5 different skippers attaining a first place finish, despite this the Trophy winner, Colin Goodman did so with 23 points from the 21 races completed.
Trevor Binks (a visitor from Eastbourne) achieved the second place with Vernon Appleton of the Coalhouse Fort MBC came third.
The next three fishers were all from the local club, Chelmsford Radio Yacht Club. David Hope 4th, Malcolm Harris 5th and 6th place Phil Newman.
All racing incidents were remedied by penalty turns which reflected well the good mannered and good tempered atmosphere that existed throughout the day.