DF95 Winter Series final event at East Kent Radio Sailing Club
by Peter Jackson 28 Mar 15:49 GMT
27 March 2025
East Kent's 16 boat DF95 Winter Series was completed in perfect weather with winds varying from 4 to 14 knots. Peter Jackson set the windward-Leeward course on the west side of the lake. Adrian Tomlinson set out his store with a win in race 1, a prelude to winning most of the 16 races with lowest placings of two 4ths.
Robert Owns won race 2 but his results were up & down like the proverbial horse in a jump race before settling down with three 2nds. Alan Hounsell had a strong start with two 2nds before slipping away a little as the wind increased. Peter Jackson with a wobbly rudder couldn't match Adrian upwind but scored a solid 3,3,2,3. He then got a 3,2,1 before lunch, with his first of three wins, from Adrian and Alan. Spencer Pope had got a 3rd behind Adrian and Peter in race 3 but then slipped back into the pack as Alan came back strongly with 3,3,2, before lunch.
With the wind up over lunch Robert got his B rig ready, immediately making the wind drop again and start shifting around. He stuck with his A rig, finishing 2nd behind Adrian with Peter 3rd, but then won race 11, from Peter and Alan with Adrian 4th after some penalty turns. But then Peter, level for 2nd place in the series, got up to speed, nailing the starts and the shifts. He won the next two races, first from Adrian, and Robert, then with Spencer Pope with his second podium with Adrian 3rd.
Robert stayed in the hunt plugging in his 3rd win in race 14 with a big shift on the final hitch to the line, but then over-exciting starting left him a little dizzy. Peter was now matching Adrian beating him into 2nd. In the next race Adrian beat Peter by a bow bumper. But 2nd secured 2nd place in the event for Peter, counting only podium places. In the last race Peter led up the 1st beat but found he'd laid the distant windward mark 6" too far away in the bright dappled sunshine, missing it twice, the 3nd time going back a full leg.
Alan was hovering around podium steps managed two more 3rd places, but gave the above average Robert Owens average points (2.8) in the last two races for chartering his boat to a potential new member, securing a comfortable 3rd for the event, ahead of Alan and Spencer. Peter Glover finally got his tuning something like right, finishing 5,4,2 in the last 3 races. Andrew Nichols sometimes threatened the podium but his best place was a 4th.
The overall series went right to the wire from 2nd place down. Adrian took the win by 8 points from a tie on 15 points between Mike Brand and Peter Jackson. Mike got the 2nd overall spot on countback.
Event Results:
1. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
2. 211 Peter Jackson
3. 479 Robert Owns
4. 380 Alan Hounsell
5. 32 Spencer Pope
6. 026 Peter Glover
7. 613 Andrew Nichols
Winter Series Results Overall:
1. 30 Adrian Tomlinson
2. 875 Mike Brand
3. 211 Peter Jackson
4. 479 Robert Owens
5. 380 Alan Hounsell
6. 32 Spencer Pope
7. 57 Jim La Roche
8. 48 Colin Honour
9. 571 Rob Maunder
10. 026 Peter Glover