Enterprise Open and Thames Valley Area Championship at Silver Wing Sailing Club

Dave and Claire Ackroyd during the Silver Wing Enterprise Open © Helen Evans

Silver Wing hosted the Enterprise Thames Valley Area Championship, and the Silver Wing open meeting, on Saturday 18th May. We welcomed one visitor boat from Burghfield SC and six home boats. The event consisted of four races sandwiched either side of a tasty lunch of lasagne or macaroni cheese!

The morning started with a quick rain shower as the safety crew readied their boats and the sailors prepped theirs. The race team deliberated over the intricacies of setting a course in wind which was both fickle in strength and direction, and when satisfied it would be as good as it gets, initiated the start sequence.

Startline action during the Silver Wing Enterprise Open - photo © Helen Evans

Race 1

All boats behaved impeccably for the start and then battled each other and oscillating winds to reach the windward mark with Jeremy and Kirsty Bedingfield (23124) winning the first beat. Towards the end of lap 1, four boats were in close contention, but as the second lap unfolded, Pete Jackson and Talha Ali (23047) began to pull away with a clear lead. As for the other three boats, Adam Wickenden and Andrea Goldsack-Hoskin (23045) needed to complete a 720-penalty enabling the Bedingfield boat to ease into second place and our visiting crew, Ann Jackson and David Manson (23170) to third. Slightly behind, a tussle was developing between two local boats, Chris and Alex Nokes (21104) and David and Claire Ackroyd (21853). The wind strengthened slightly and the boats stayed largely in the position they were in already. Pete and Talha had eased into a commanding lead but Ann and David (23170) and Jeremy and Kirsty (23124) traded places a couple of times with Adam and Andrea (23045) hot on their tails. At the conclusion of the race, Pete and Talha won by a significant margin, followed by Ann and David in second and Jeremy and Kirsty in third.

Silver Wing Enterprise Open - photo © Charlotte Mendes Da Costa

Race 2

Silver Wing winds are notoriously shifty and this was certainly true as the boats headed off to the first mark. The wind freshened and moved to the East thus giving the sailors who had headed off starboard an advantage. Ann and David, having completed a 720 at the start line, noticed this and quickly caught up with the fleet. David and Claire Ackroyd (21853) had the best start and reached the top mark first. Close behind was Adam and Andrea, Pete and Talha and then Chris and Alex Nokes (21104). By the end of the first lap, David and Claire were successfully holding off the other boats. Adam and Andrea took advantage of the easterly shift and managed to sneak past the Ackroyds at the windward mark. Similarly, Ann and David (23170) caught and over took Chris and Alex to snatch 4th place. As with the previous race, our lead boat eased to a comfortable position ahead of the fleet and the race team looked to the chasing boats for the "action". Positions swapped as one boat gave water to others at different marks. Adam and Andrea kept their lead to finish in first place with Pete and Tahla closing in in second. Third place went to Ann and David with fourth place going to our initial leaders, David and Claire Ackroyd.

Lunch followed and then the race team headed out to see if the wind was doing what it was forecast to do. Obviously, the wind had decided it was going to do its own thing so the course was adjusted and the race team cursed slightly as the wind continued to oscillate intermittently.

Peter Jackson and Talha Ali during the Silver Wing Enterprise Open - photo © Helen Evans

Pete Jackson and Talha Ali win the Silver Wing Enterprise Open - photo © Helen Evans

Race 3 began at a sedate pace due to the light wind. Boats tacked furiously in response to the wind shifts or in the hopes of catching one! Ann and David (23170) reached the top mark first ahead of Adam and Andrea (23045) and Jeremy and Kirsty (23124). After two more legs, Adam and Andrea took the lead from Ann and David with Jeremy and Kirsty still in third. The remaining 4 boats kept in close contact with Pete and Talha in 4th and Malcolm and Tracy Weller (2304) in 5th. However, by the end of the next beat, Pete and Talha had pulled away. Unfortunately, they couldn't build on this success when they later sailed the wrong side of gate mark resulting in a NSC! Adam and Andrea kept their lead until the end of the race with Ann and David in second and Jeremy and Kirsty coming in at speed in third place.

Race 4

Race 4 started well enough - Pete and Talha read the wind patterns well to reach the windward mark first, followed by Adam and Andrea, Jeremy and Kirsty and then David and Claire. Pete and Talha continued to catch the breeze eased into a commanding lead. Adam and Andrea battled with Ann and David for second place with the remaining boats spreading out neatly in their wake. At the end of the first lap, Pete and Talha were comfortably in the lead with Adam and Andrea holding onto to second place. As the fleet began their second lap, the wind decided to drop and the boats slowed to a snail's pace. The race team took pity and raised the shortened course flag. Pete and Talha took first place, Adam and Andrea in second and Ann and David finishing third.

With Adam and Andrea (23045) and Pete and Talha (23047) on equal points after their discards, the winning boat would be decided on countback. Pete and Talha took the honours with Adam and Andrea in a very close second. Ann and David (23170) finished in third place. Thus Pete and Talha won both the Thames Valley area championships, and the 'Just Jane' Trophy for the Silver Wing open.

The sailors completed their day of challenging sailing with the reward of an afternoon tea, cakes and the prize-giving.

Overall Results: