Senior Travellers in light winds
Light and shifty winds have been a feature of this midweek series for the over 50s so far in 2014 and Hollingworth Lake maintained this record.
Nevertheless, an excellent day's racing took place on Tuesday July 8 for 20 boats with the OD and his team doing a first class job of providing good courses in challenging conditions.
In race one local sailor Martin Brennan in a borrowed Solo read the shifts on the first beat perfectly to gain the windward mark first ahead of much faster boats.
He was soon overhauled by another local boat, the Merlin of Martin and Rene Watts. There was much place changing going on in the chasing pack with the faster boats pulling through on the downwind legs, whilst success on the beat was far more about reading the shifts and seeking out extra pressure.
Having a faster class of boat was not necessarily key here. Martin held on to take the race on handicap followed by another Solo sailed by Dave Woodhead (Elton S C). Martin and Rene took 3rd and 4th went to the RS 200 of Martin and Barbara Smith from Delph S C.
Last year’s series winner Tony Critchley (Bolton S C) in his Supernova completed the top 5.Race two began in a fading breeze which almost died away completely at the bottom of the first run allowing those who had had a poor start or spent time doing circles the chance to catch up.
However the breeze returned after a calm interval to provide similar conditions to the first race. This time Tony Critchley got well clear of the pack to sail in clear wind and score a race victory. Darren Nield (Elton S C) in a Solo was the first of the mid fleet group this time and took 2nd place. Dave Woodhead was 3rd and Tony Halliwell in a Streaker (West Lancs YC) was 4th with Martin Brennan getting another top 5 place in 5th.
A downpour of rain and a stronger breeze heralded the start of race three. This was almost certainly a minor front passing through as the wind shifted and made the first beat a one tack affair. Tony Critchley won the pin end, immediately tacked onto port and made the windward mark in one tack. Although pursued and caught by the Watts’s Merlin he was never going to be seriously challenged on handicap and took the race and with it the day’s event.
Dave Woodhead took another second place with Martin and Rene in 3rd. The RS 200 of Martin and Barbara Smith clocked up another 4th and the last event winner, the GP14 of Ian Sinclaire and Alan Jones (Bolton S C) gained 5th place.
The ancient mariner prize went to Gerald Whitehead sailing a Solo from Hollingworth Lake S C.
The next event is at Southport S C, re-scheduled from earlier in the season and will take place on August 12.