Race Results Under 16ft trophy/Novice Trophy - 08/10/2011 & Mersey Basin & RLNI Regatta race - 09/10/2011

Race Results FFSC Under 16ft trophy                            Date: 08/10/2011…………

                           

Location:  Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st   Simba                      GP14                             Helm   Ian Scouler

2^nd  Overdraught             GP14                             Helm   Nick Lowe

3^rd   X                            Topper                          Helm   Eden Wall

Race 1 Commenced with the wind increasing to force 3 making the racing very challenging for the under 16ft fleet over the short course circuit, making the race quick and those who made the fewest mistakes the winner. The Laser of Kim Devereux made a great start with the Topper of Eden Wall close bye as they rounded the first mark together.  But from that point onwards the Laser was seldom put under any pressure from the rest of the fleet and went on to easily win the first leg of the trophy. The two GP14s made good ground over the water and spent most of the race battling each other for the second spot over the line which was taken by Ian Scouler in Simba gaining some 1min & 5 seconds over third boat Overdraught with Nick Lowe at the helm.

Race 2 started with the withdrawal of Kim Devereux who found a problem with her boat and could not continue, leaving the Gps favourites to take the title. Simba went into an early lead, which look like it was going to be an easy win for Ian Scouler and crew Jade Flynn. Bur Nick Lowe had other ideas and pulled out on of the best performances of the season, clawing back the lead after the third lap and taking the lead with just two marks to go. GP14 Overdraught won the race by a good 100 meters for Simba but unfortunately not enough when the two race times were added together missing out on the 2011 title by 3 seconds.

Third place was taken by youngster Eden Wall who used the Topper after her brother failed to turn up with their PICO dinghy so this really made for an outstanding performance on a make shift boat.

The good news for Eden was she took 3^rd place overall in the trophy race when the results were combined giving the young sailor a day to remember.

Overall the experience of Ian Scouler in the GP won the day and the trophy, but what would have been the result if the Laser of Kim Devereux had not been withdrawn, who knows but next years under 16ft will be interesting

The conditions on the day were great after a poor forecast, the racing was excellent and the turnout better than expected for a Saturday event, our thanks to the safety crews and officer of the day for setting some great courses.

Race Results FFSC Novice Trophy                                    Date: 08/10/2011…………

Location:  Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st   X                       Topper12184                Helm   Eden Wall

2^nd  Simba                 GP14                           Helm   Jade Flynn

3^rd  Overdraught         GP 14                         Helm   Nick Lowe

This competition is aimed at the new sailor or junior who have never won a race, and today’s field consisted of 6 boats, The race started at 10am with two short courses set, although the weather was not fair there was just enough wind to get the race away.

The first race was dominated by 11 year old Jade Flynn supported by top club sailor Ian Scouler as her crew; as they made an excellent start followed by the GP of Nick Lowe and 7 year old Colin Flynn. At the first mark Jade was well clear of the field a position which would not change as she crossed the winning line to take her first ever win in competition. The 5 boats behind soon made up for the poor start and a good battle commenced as they fought to get the inside line round the mark. Kim Devereux in her Laser “Back Off” made up ground followed by the Topper of Eden Wall aged 14. With the wind strengthening the race speeds increased as the race went on and the final positions over the line saw the Topper with its better handicap move in to the top 3 behind race winner Jade Flynn.

Race 2 started better than race 1 with all sailors keen to get good starts, and Kin Devereux made a very quick start and took the lead which she held throughout the race, but had to work hard from early challenges from Jade Flynn and then Nick Lowe with 2^nd and 3^rd placed changing with each lap. Eden Wall in the Topper made steady progress and stayed in touch with all the boats but did not have the speed to overtake the front three who failed to recognise that the Topper had the advantage of a great handicap.

Race two was won by Kim Devereux who even though she capsized at the last mark, recovered well enough to take the race by a big margin. Her capsize did reduce that lead enough to lose her 3 places overall as the race totals were combined to sort out the Novice Champion for 2011.

Eden Wall with the Topper had just done enough to win the competition outright, but all of the competitors sailed very well and far above the novice status accorded them. A special mention for Matt Scouler & Ben in there new boat, who did well in their first competitive race together as helm and crew, before a fault developed on the Jib which forced them to retire early.

With the top two junior girls taking 1^st & 2^nd “This was a brilliant effort, considering they only started sailing this season”, stated their coach Ken Southall. Bodes well for the future

Race Results Mersey Basin & RLNI Regatta race Date: 08/10/2011…………

                           

Location:  Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st   Tomohawk                          Falcon                             Helm   Tony Tomlinson

2^nd  Redfoot                               Falcon                             Helm   Ian Scouler

3^rd   Nighthawk                          Falcon                             Helm   Adrian Dodd

Today’s race was set against a severe weather forecast which indicated strong to gale force winds as the day progressed, which in the end was correct and for some boats a really challenging day and plenty of capsizing.

14 Boats trawled the line at the start with all boats tasked to make the No1 Buoy Tomlinson Turn 1 mile up river before turning for No 6 mark at Gate worth. All the boats made clean starts and the early lead was taken by Falcon 44 Tomohawk followed by the Albacore of Dave Irvine both rounding together, any one of 6 boats following was fighting for third spot as they rounded number one. Already a big gap had appeared and the fleet had been divided with the smaller craft struggling as the wind and gusts increased.

At the half way mark Falcon 44 had secured a good lead over Falcon 42 & 35 putting the Albacore into a very unsecure 4^th place as the GP 14 of Ernie Griffiths closed the gap down to 3 boats lengths. With 3 withdrawal’s and 3 capsizes the safety crews were very busy giving assistance or towing dinghies back to the clubs slipway.

The race was very classical in nature, with boats healed over travelling very fast riding the wind for all it was worth.al Falcon 44 with Tony Tomlinson at the helm took full advantage of this. The battle between Red Foot 42 and Night Hawk 35 was nip and took before the weight advantage of the heavier crew of Redfoot came in to play as the wind speeds increased.

Finally Tomohawk crossed the line to record their 9th win of the season some 3 minutes clear of second boat Redfoot 42 who finished 2 minutes clear of NightHawk 35.  These 3 boats have performed really well all season so it came as no surprize that they took the podium positions. Fourth and fifth spot was determined by a capsize on the last lap by Dave Irvine in the Albacore giving the GP 14 the time and  space  to clear the flounder boat, but the Albacore recovered quickly but could not catch the GP14 who took the fourth spot.

Alan Dodd junior laser champion changed boats today to try a Solo Dinghy and finished in 6^th place a creditable performance for a light boat in difficult conditions. Our hero of the day was Steve Wall in his 420 Dinghy who finished the course some 45 minutes after the winning boat crossed the line. 7 boats retired from the race, this was the first running of the RLNI Regatta/ Mersey Basin Trophy and one would think the Lifeboat Service would have been at home in these changing conditions?

Hot refreshments were welcomed by all the participants and the hard working safety boat crews, thanks to Emma Flynn.

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: The Burthem Trophy Date: 25/09/2011…………

Race Results:  The Burthem Trophy                                 Date: 25/09/2011…………

                           

Location:  Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st  Tommo hawk     Falcon 44      Helm  Tony Tomlinson

2^nd  Night hawk       Falcon 35       Helm   Adrian Dodd

3^rd  Redfoot             Falcon 42       Helm   Ian Scouler

Light southerly winds greeted the competitors at the start of the autumn season’s series of races at FFSC. 15 boats turned out for this early start at 10.30am with two safety boats in attendance. The light winds reduced leaving all of the fleet drifting backwards against the incoming tide and it was nearly 25 minutes before the first boat crossed the start line with some boats were unable to cross the start line for nearly an hour until strong winds filled in again allowing the boats to make headway.

Falcon 44 Tommo hawk made the break and slowly made for the first mark with only two other boats in pursuit Night Hawk 35 & Redfoot 42 whilst the others in the fleet made really slow progress.

With the increased wind speed all boats crossed the start line but for some the effort was too much and the task of closing the gap on the lead boats too great. 3 boats retired and a further 3 with gear failure reduced the fleet to less than half. Ernie Griffiths in his Laser Radial caught the 2^nd & 3rd placed boats and was looking very dangerous until damaging a rudder which forced him to retire two marks from home. For the first time in the race boats 1^st 2^nd & 3^rd were in sight of each other, but 2^nd & 3^rd could not make any impact on his lead.

With just 7 boats left in the race, it became an endurance race after 2 hours of race sailing and for some another hour of sailing to undertake before they reached the finishing line. No one could match Tommo Hawk 44 finishing in 2 hrs. and 10 minutes to take the trophy, with the second boat Night Hawk 35 finishing in 2hr 40 min followed by third boat Redfoot 42 in 2hrs 44mins.

Fourth boat home was Falcon 21 Condor who completed the course in 2hrs 59mins, a remarkable performance after a poor start.

The remaining fleet to their credit continued to race with novices Colin & Emma Flynn crossing the line in 5^th place in there Kestrel dinghy only to be placed 6^th when the GP 14 of brothers Steve & Richard Whitehead gained that spot on the handicap ruling. The hero of the day was Steve Wall and crew who finished the race in 3hrs and 27 minutes, and then went out again for a sail round???

Certainly this was not the best race of the season but certainly the most frustrating, with winds coming and going at the wrong time. Thanks to the safety boats teams for their support remembering they had been on the water over 4 hours, so the hot soup and mugs of tea were most welcome after the race.

The turnout for this race was excellent with such an early start, so a big thank you for all those who made the effort

The next races are on Saturday 8^th & Sunday 9^th October for the RLNI /Mersey Basin Regatta

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: September Cup Date: 11/09/2011…………

Location:  Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st  Tommohawk  Falcon 44       Helm  Tony Tomlinson

2^nd Redfoot          Falcon 42       Helm   Ian Scouler

3^rd Cara Cara        Falcon 45       Helm   Ernie Griffiths

Strong to gale force southerly winds greeted the competitors of this special race in the FFSC calendar, although few boat were expected to take part in this event, 15 boats turned out the brave these conditions.  From the start at 12 noon and using one of FFSC longest courses (10 miles) and heading up against strong incoming tide, there are easier ways of spending a Sunday afternoon.

Some boats were in trouble straight way as none of the fleet could make any headway, which led to a great deal of frustration and close calls as boats tacked for best position. First to make ground was Alan Dodd in his Laser, mastering the conditions to good affect but his day was to end halfway round the course with a broken mast and early retirement. Tomlinson in Falcon 44 Tommohawk and Redfoot 42

Managed to break the grip of the strong tide, whilst others struggled. After 30 minutes most of the fleet had managed to cross the start line. The Commodore in his Albacore dinghy capsized approaching the start and like many other was forced to retire but also broke his mast. From the 15 boats that started the race, by the first mark only 9 were still sailing, that field was spread far and wide giving the safety boat teams some concerns. By the halfway stage the fleet had reduced itself to 7 boats with Alan Dodd still leading and Falcons 44 & 42 in hot pursuit, whilst the other remaining boats in the fleet were still making steady headway as the race entered its final stages.

Coming back from Warrington and past the club house for the second time the Laser was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the increasing wind and retired, leaving 44 & 42 to battle it out for the line. With the final 3 stages of the race now in progress and only 5 boats now left in the race which was now over 2 hours old, all had to contend with severe wind over tide conditions as the tide started to ebb.

The final two marks saw Falcons 44 & 42 in close combat with less than a boat length between them, sailing at full speed the crews of the boats needing every bit of energy to hold the boats down as they approached the finishing line. Finally Tony Tomlinson in 44 managed to beat Ian Scouler in Redfoot 42 by half a boat length. In third place was Falcon 45 Cara Cara, 11 minutes the leaders with final two Falcon dinghies 14 & 33 finishing 25 minutes behind the winning boat.

The conditions were very difficult and demanding and hopefully they will serve to assist the FFSC Falcon fleet as they prepare to enter the Falcon National Championships on the 17& 18^th September on the River Dee. Thanks to the safety boat crews, refreshments and the video skills of Chris Forster as we reviewed the race in the club house.

 
Thanks also to Tom & Mal Roberts who presented the their trophy and undertook the Officer of the day Duties

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: Hallway Trophy Date 14/08/2011

^1st Boat:  Tomahawk 44          Type:  Falcon             Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

^2nd Boat:  Nighthawk 35         Type   Falcon             Skipper: Adrian Dodd

3^rd Boat:  Millennium 33           Type:  Falcon             Skipper: Colin Howard

Light airs and sunshine for the 11 boats who entered this race,The course selected by OD Ken Southall was a short course in front of the club house. From the start the early leaders Nighthawk 35 and Tommo hawk 44 made great progress, followed by Redfoot 42, down to the first mark at number 2, before a quick leg past the power station pump house then onto Richmond Bank turn no 6.

As the tide was still flooding in, it was difficult to make any headway against the tide which  allowed other boats in the fleet to catch up valuable ground and soon all boats were held at this spot before the tide slackened and headway could be made.

The leaders made headway but third boat Redfoot lost its rudder which saw some of its crew searching the river bank in the hope of finding it, after losing ground they managed to locate it, refit it and back in the race.

Millennium 33 replaced Redfoot 42 in third place. As the fleet turned for the final home run, Tommohawk 44 had stolen the lead from Night hawk 35 and went on to win the race by a narrow margin.

The battle behind between Redfoot and Millennium saw both boats changing places before Redfoot ran aground allowing Millennium to get away and take third place with Redfoot only managing 5^th.

With short course racing the boat making the fewer mistakes usually takes the win and this case that proved to be the case. Well Done Tony Tomlinson and Crew Emma Flynn, John Rigby

Thanks to the safety boat crews of Hannah & Alex Rigby, Dave & Sally Thompson. Ed & Craig

Officer of the day Ken Southall & Refreshments Sue Warwick

Visitors are always welcome.

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Under 16ft Dinghy Championship & Women’s Championship 31/07/2011

Overall position U16ft Dinghy Championship

^1st  Boat:  Flash                       Type:  Laser                 Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

^2nd Boat:  Nessie                   Type   Laser                  Skipper: Alan Dodd

3^rd Boat:  Crackin Cheese        Type:  Wayfarer             Skipper: Tom Roberts

Overall position of the Women’s Championship                                             

^1st  Boat:  Flash                       Type:  Laser                 Skipper: Alex Rigby

^2nd Boat:  Nessie                    Type   Enterprise          Skipper: Claire Dodd

3^rd Boat:  Nighthawk 35             Type:  Falcon               Skipper: Sue Gamble

With the biggest turn out of boats this season Officer of the day Ken Southall had to get 21 boats onthewater ready for the start of this dual races of the Women’s Championship and the Under 16ft Dinghy Championship. The start was delayed for over 5 minutes giving all the participants the opportunity to launch on time.

For the Under 16ft Dinghy Championship 14 boats set off in this event with a strong input from the Laser sailors, it was soon clear that these dinghies would prove to be strong contenders if they could master the tricky conditions which is something that Reece Tomlinson & Alan Dodd proved to the rest of the fleet as they gave lessons in boat handling. 

After the first mark none of the other Under 16ft dinghies could not make any impact on their progress. After an hour of racing the Lasers were on the finishing stretch with Alan Dodd being just a few feet away from Reece Tomlinson  as they crossed the line, some might say, formation or synchronised sailing.

As for the rest of the fleet in their GP14s & Wayfarers, Tom & Marilyn Robert previous winner of this trophy had to settle for third place in their Wayfarer Crackin Cheese just head of GP 14 GEE PEE helmed by Ian Scouler & Jade Flynn. Other notable performance came from Brother Simon & Nick Lowe in their GP14 Overdraught who finished a creditable 6^th, 5 boats retired from this race due to conditions, which gave the safety boat teams a lot of ground to cover and assistance to the dinghy fleet.

The day was enjoyable and produced some excellent personal performance from Reece and Alan.

The biggest event of the season so far produce the biggest turn out of boats, and with so many boat not sailing today as they prepare for the Menai Straits Regatta just as well they didn’t all turn out or resources would be stretched. Thanks to Safety Teams and the Officers of the day Ken Southall & Club Commodore Dave Rigby, Support team of Craig Hinkin, Sue Worswick.

7 boats competed in this race for the FFSC Women’s Championship 2011 with previous winner Claire Dodd & Alex Rigby being favourites to take the title again. But this year it would prove to be a little more difficult with a larger field of competitors.

The 4 mile course soon started to impact on the strength and stamina of the competitors with a couple of boat retiring after the second mark on the course as the wind speed increased. Claire Dodd took an early from Alex Rigby on her Laser followed by Sue Gamble on Falcon Night Hawk 35. By the halfway mark the this situation had not changed but as the tide started to Ebb the race was to become faster and more challenging as a result of wind over tide making the river very lumpy. 

As the women’s fleet headed for the final turn a mile from home, a good lead had been established by Alex Rigby over Claire Dodd, which was to be the final position. With 2 retirements  the fleet was reduced further, allowing juniors  Eden Wall & Caitlan Whitehead to take the fourth spot behind Sue Gamble a creditable performance from two of the youngest competitors in the fleet. Overall the conditions did prove to be a challenge but provided some useful experience to those who have never sailed in a major competition.

Winner Alex Rigby recognised that the depth of women sailing at FFSC is growing annually and competition for this trophy is improving each year, which will require everyone to train hard if they to win it.

 

The race proved to be very challenging and capsize drill was for some the order of the day, with good safety cover on duty, everyone had a great time.

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec