Enterprise Midland Area Double Chine Series Open at Nottingham Sailing Club

Nottingham Enterprise Open: 1st place (Martin Davies & Lauren Morgan) © Ilana Davis

Nottingham Enterprise Open: 2nd place © Ilana Davis

Nottingham Enterprise Open: 3rd place © Ilana Davis

This event, the fifth and penultimate in the Midland Area Double Chine Series, was held on the River Trent at Nottingham Sailing Club on Sunday 16th October 2022. The conditions were excellent with a steady force 3 wind from the south west and warm sunshine.

Four visiting boats from Ogston, Rugby and Daventry and Midland sailing clubs joined the local boat for some excellent racing.

The first race saw Phil and Rosie Wilson (Ogston SC) make the best start from the starboard end of the line to round the windward mark first, closely followed by Paul Young crewed by Megan Ward (Midland SC) with Martin Davies crewed by Lauren Morgan (Rugby and Daventry / Midland SC) in third.

On the following run things got very close with all three leading boats overlapped at times. Paul and Megan took the lead just before the leeward mark, but later lost out to both Martin and Lauren and Phil and Rosie on the following beat. Paul and Megan regained second place on the final lap but failed to catch up with Martin and Lauren who won this race comfortably from Paul and Megan in second and Phil and Rosie third.

After lunch the wind became more fickle and a little lighter. This time Paul and Megan made a good start but soon found themselves in a sandwich between Martin and Lauren and Phil and Rosie unable to tack, however soon afterwards they took full advantage of a wind shift which enabled them to get to windward of the other two boats and round the windward mark, first followed closely by Martin and Lauren and Phil and Rosie. Paul and Megan then managed to extend their lead over the next two laps.

On the final lap Martin and Lauren closed Paul and Megan down becoming overlapped on the final run. A determined Paul and Megan held on managing to round the last leeward mark on the inside before pulling away on the final beat to secure victory.

With the meeting now nicely balanced, the third and last race started in a dying wind, although there was sufficient to reach the windward mark, with Martin and Lauren leading from Paul and Megan around the first mark.

As the competitors sailed away from the windward mark the wind gradually died. The earlier you left the better so the fleet stretched away to the leeward mark. The order did not change although with some extremely fluky wind in the last half lap it might well have done.

The whole fleet closed ranks with Oliver Mason crewed by Ilana Davis (Midland SC) and locals Rachal Heesom crewed by Beverley Howe joining in the action but the eventual positions remained unchanged. Martin and Lauren held on to win both this race and the meeting.

After the prize-giving winning helm Martin Davies thanked on behalf of the other competitors all the volunteers from Nottingham Sailing Club who gave up their time to provide an enjoyable day with some great racing. He also thanked his crew Lauren Morgan for her excellent crewing, especially in her first time in an Enterprise and also competing away from her own club in an open meeting for the very first time.

The last event of the Double Chine series is to be held at Hunts SC in Cambridgeshire on Saturday 22nd October.

Martin Davies currently leads the series, but could be beaten by Paul Young on tie break if he wins this event overall.

We look forward to an exciting final event.

Midland Area Double Chine Series Results after Round 5: