Bough Beech Sailing Club Icicle Open Series mid-way report
by Nick Marden 4 Feb 2019 16:39 GMT
3 February 2019
Bough Beech SC Icicle Open Series © Debbie Maynard
As often happens Windguru's dire predictions of too much or too little wind have proven unfounded and the Bough Beech SC Open Icicle series has progressed without missing a beat. The clear skies and a low sun on blue water on 3 February were a reminder how great winter sailing can be once the ice in the boats had melted!
With ten races of the planned eighteen race series completed, the leader board in the 59-entry Conventional fleet is beginning to take shape. Light wind weekends mixed up with two very windy ones have given all classes an opportunities to shine, but the Wayfarers are showing excellent all-weather consistency with three boats in the top five and some remarkable winning margins on corrected time. John Clemetson, crewed by Mel Titmus leads from Guy Marks with Sam Pygall though Barry Wolfenden's Scorpion is still in the hunt. The rest of the top ten is made up of Solos and Lasers together with Richard Smith's RS600 who, with other 600s, has been trialling experimental new sail cuts.
There is no such clarity in the 23-strong Asymmetric fleet who have been sailing separate windward/leeward courses. The top three boats are separated only by a couple of points. The RS400 of Mick and Sarah Whitmore (Eastbourne Sailing Club) currently leads overall from Richard and Ian Hudson from the home club, who are first in a strong fleet of nine 2000s, and Matt Fowler and Lyn Ratcliffe (RS200, Pevensey Bay SC). As in previous years the results will probably not be decided until the final weekend.
www.boughbeechsc.org.uk/race-results