Splash Open at Ulley Sailing Club
by Rosalie Hill 24 Sep 2006 08:46 BST
23 September 2006
14 boats for the Splash open at Ulley © David Holt
It was a triumph of youth over experience at the first Splash Open meeting to be held at Ulley Sailing Club for several years. It proved an excellent highly competetive event in a steady south-easterly breeze, with 14 boats sailing, some from as far afield as East Anglia.
Tom Harlow had a storming morning, leading the first two races almost from the bell, and, when he led off the third race, it seemed the event was his, although Morley had given a hint of things to come as he fought Harlow down to the line with a final burst of speed in race two. But then the gremlins set in. Chased by Roy Goodison (this time without his canine crew and watched by son Paul), Harlow took the wrong course in Race 3 and never got into contention in the final race.
This allowed Morley to come from behind and win the third race. Woofinden had put up a good fight to come second in race 1 and looked set for a comeback in race 4, having already established a convincing lead before the windward mark. However,as he tacked left into a wind shadow, the young guns found a lift, leaving Will Johnson to take first place while Morley and Holt battled it out behind him. Holt seized the inside line as he rounded the jibe mark on the final lap to take his second 2nd place of the day.
Morley's one, two, three finally won the event, with Harlow and Holt tied one point behind. Harlow's first places broke the tie.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Helm | Club | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | James Morley | Ulley | 6 |
| 2nd | Tom Harlow | Carsington | 7 |
| 3rd | Jonathan Holt | Ulley | 7 |
| 4th | Will Johnson | Oulton | 9 |
| 5th | John Woofinden | Ulley | 11 |