Sunday 2nd September

Killington Lake Sailing Club

by Ian + Geraldine Downs (4008)

The forecast for Sunday was 'not a good one' and the weather was worse!  A strong (force 4/5) south-westerly and driving rain greeted the competitors.

In spite of the conditions there was another good turnout with 11 visitors (6 from Delph) joining the sole Killington boat - the conditions were so intimidating that two boats didn't even bother to rig!

The OOD for the day, Pete Lawson, took advantage of the perfect wind direction to set the first course with a beat the whole length of the lake.  Conditions at the start caused many to wonder if we were back on the sea at Beaumaris (the windward mark was 'somewhere in the far distance').  Adrian + Helen Cripps (4009 - Girton) did not have the best of starts but soon joined battle with Ashley Southwell and Mark Atherton (3800 - Leigh + Lowton) for the lead.  Holding third place at the windward mark were Tim + Robert Watkinson (3220 - Delph) and the leading three flew their spinnakers as soon as they rounded.  In fourth place Ian + Geraldine Downs (4007 - Delph) were not so brave but managed to keep in touch.  Surprisingly of the eight boats to start there were no capsizes and only one retirement.  At the end of the race there were only seconds between first and second.  Third and fourth were similarly close

    1st - Cripps, 2nd - Southwell, 3rd - Downs

The galley ladies did us all proud with lunch and the OOD confirmed the next two races would be back to back.  By this time Martin + Carmela Burgess had rigged their boat (1204 - Thornton Steward) and Martin + Mavis Bathe (59 - Delph) decided the conditions were not so bad....

The course for the second race was similar to the first, the wind had changed direction slightly, and again we set off down the length of the lake.  Again 4009 battled with 3800 and again 4009 prevailed!  The spinnaker opportunties were kinder in this race with most being flown, so the spectators enjoyed the spectacle at the gybe mark close to the jetty.  Martin + Carmela (rested from the first race) proved too much for Ian + Geraldine in this race and were a comfortable third.

    1st - Cripps, 2nd - Southwell , 3rd - Burgess

The wind, by now, was a comfortable force 3 and the sun was shining for the third race (an 'all port' course around six marks).  Hannah Beckford (crew for Mike Smith - 3493) asked the OOD if they could have a 'head start' (NO WAY).  Ian + Geraldine had another good start and eventually got the better on Ashley + Mark to be second at the windward mark - a position they managed to defend to the end of the race.  There was no catching the Cripps who again finished first.  

All in all an excellent days racing with many battles being fought throughout the fleet

The final top three positions were:    1st - Cripps, 2nd - Southwell , 3rd - Downs