This
should have been the second Streaker Open Meeting in the south for us but the
bad weather, serious snow on the A3/M23 and the fact that Bough Beech was on the
country roads meant that we did not venture up there. As it happened the levels
of snow locally were not significant here but enough to make them call off the meeting at Tamworth which was due to be held on the same
day. Anyway the Bough Beech meeting went ahead with just the three boats who
turned up. A report for Bough Beech, courtesy Steve Garrett is published above.
On
Saturday morning (13th April) we set off from Hove at 7.30 am and
after one comfort stop at Toddington we found our way to this a new Southern
Area venue by shortly after 9.30 am. A light rain was falling as we set off but
had ceased by the time we arrived. For a Southern Area meet the attendance was
well up, with twelve Streakers coming to the start line for the first race. Alan
Gillard, from Sheffield Vikings, was the furthest north visitor whilst ‘yours truly’
was the furthest south.
Race
one, held over a zigzag course in the larger northern part of Heron Water with
the start in the north eastern corner. With the wind a good top end force three
initially, from the south, it was Alan Gillard soon into the lead, a position that
he maintained through out the race with John Burgoyne (Tamworth SC) up into
second place and ahead of Veronica Falat (Waveney & Oulton Broad YC). Ian
Bradley (Ouse ASC) was lying in fourth place at the end of the first lap with
Matthew Whitfield just ahead of dad Ian (both from Tamworth SC) in fifth and
sixth. At seventh Nick Lovell (Ouse ASC) was ahead of Bill Strange and then Ian
Parish (both from Stewartby SC). The rear end consisted of Gary Hogan
(Emberton) in tenth place ahead of Alan Simmons (Lancing SC) and finally Nick
Carter (Burgfield SC).
The
breeze freshened a little, to a mid force 4, but was very gusty leading to
quite a few tip ups, the gybe mark (No2) midway up the western side proved a ‘popular’
area. In lap two Veronica.F passed John.B to lie second well behind Alan.G.
Matthew.W also went ahead of Ian.B into fourth place and Ian.P passed Bill.S to
go 8th. Further back the relative positions remained unchanged.
Lap
three saw John.B lose another place to Ian.B who, having also passed Matthew.W
on the way, thus pulled up to third. Nick L managed to get ahead of Ian.W and thus up to sixth. At the back end Alan.S passed
Gary.H to go into tenth spot. There were no further place changes in laps four
or five. Lap seven saw the last of the place changes when Nick.L overtook Matthew.W to take 5th
place which he held to the finish. Nick Carter had suffered a capsize, near
mark No2, in lap 7 and having been assisted back aboard by the safety boat subsequently
retired and did not sail again.
After
lunch, the wind having shifted somewhat further eastwards, and the rain
started, a new course was set with two marks used in the area, just off the
clubhouse, to the south of the island. There was a distinct absence of breeze
adjacent to the two marks here. Alan.G was soon off into the lead with
Veronica.F hard on his heels and Matthew.W third up by the end of the first
lap. Nick .L was lying fourth, John.B at fifth, Ian.W was sixth ahead of Ian.B,
then Ian.P in front of Bill.S, Alan.S and lastly Gary.H at eleventh.
Lap
two saw John.B forge ahead of Nick.L, Matthew.W and Veronica.F to lie second.
Matthew.W
was even passed by dad Ian.W dropping to seventh and Ian .B lost another place
to lie 8th. The second best gain was made by Ian.P who shot up to
lie fourth whilst Alan.S squeezed up to 9th passing Bill.S on the
way as did Gary.H.
Lap
three saw yet more place changing with Veronica.F regaining second place ahead
of John.B. and Nick.L also gained a place to lie fourth. Ian.P dropped back one
place but still ahead of Ian.B who had overtaken both Ian.W and Mathew.W,
himself having been passed by dad Ian.W. Gary.H overtook Bill.S to lie in 10th
just behind Alan.S in 9th. Lap 4 saw more changes at the front of
the fleet with Nick.L climbing up to second place in front of John.B and Ian.B,
who had all relegated Veronica.F to fifth. Each time the leaders came to round
the westerly of the two marks south of the island there was a good deal of
bunching – due to the lack of breeze – a good deal of calls for water or
starboard and a lot of place changing plus a few penalty turns. Ian.W gained a
place to sixth whilst Ian.P dropped to seventh.
All
the while Alan.G stayed well out in front in clean air until he started coming
across the back markers, he too succumbed to a capsize whilst gybing at the No
2 mark and being caught by a heavy gust, he quickly recovered and nobody was close
enough to overtake. Lap 5 finished with Alan
G in front of Nick.L still in second place whilst John.B capsized at the south
eastern mark – just off the clubhouse - and had several boats across his sail,
spent a long time in the water and was eventually assisted by the safety boat
leading to his retirement. As a result Ian.B moved up to lie third with
Veronica fourth and Matthew.W shot up into fifth passing Ian.P and Ian.W on the
way. Alan.S was thus lying eighth ahead of Gary.H and Bill.S. Lap six and the
only changes were at the back where Gary.G passed Alan.S into eighth spot. Lap 7,
the final lap, saw no changes in the leading four boats but Ian.P gained two
places to take 5th having passed both the Whitfields and Bill.S
retiring.
Race
three, held back to back with race two, was held over the same course with if
anything a bit more breeze, it was certainly more gusty with some planeing on
the reach out from behind the island and then across the lake to mark 2. For
this race Alan.G had decided, having already won the meeting, to use the Wave
sail. The rest of the fleet however was well up the first beat, across the
longest stretch of the lake, before Alan even got to the start line. In this
start it was Veronica who came out in front although Nick.L was in close
contention. John.B was third at the end of lap1 with Matthew.W in fourth, Ian
.B fifth. Ian.P was sixth and Ian.W seventh. At the back Alan.S was lying eighth
ahead of Gary.H and Alan.G - until Alan.G
passed Gary.H.
Lap two saw Nick. L get ahead of Veronica.F, John.B
retained 3rd place whilst Matthew.W
stayed ahead of Ian.B and Ian.W passed
Ian.P . Alan.S managed to stay ahead of Alan.G but was gradually being
overhauled. Lap 3 saw Veronica.F back
into the lead followed by Nick.L, then
John.B with Ian.B pulling back a place ahead of Matthew.W. next up in sixth
place was Ian.P ahead of Ian.W. Alan.G, with the reduced area Wave sail, still
had sufficient speed to overtake Alan.S into eighth place with Gary.H back in
tenth. Lap 4 saw Alan.S and Gary.G up a place each when Alan.G retried, there
were no changes to the top seven positions. In lap 5 Ian.W went up to sixth
place overtaking Ian.P on the way, Alan.S closed up on Ian.P too only to lose
out the gains he had made in the following lap. There were no place changes in Lap 6 and in lap 7, the final lap, Ian.W went up to fifth passing Matthew.W on the way but there were no other changes of position.
Overall
Results:-
Alan.S 1700
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