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Sailing: Weather gets fleet mustered at Felpham
They've been out on the water at Felpham, Chichester, Bognor and Dell Quay - and we've got every twist and turn.
FELPHAM
After the disappointment of no racing in midweek because of strong winds, the fleet were keen to enjoy the weekend's excellent weather and breeze.
The first race on Sunday started from a committee boat, allowing racers to beat into a fresh north-easterly wind.
James Mapley (Topper) had a great start at the pin end and kept ahead of the other Topper sailor, Martin Jones.
Lewis Powell (Laser 4.7) held off Howard Barker (Laser) but neither could keep with Nigel Schofield (laser radial) in gusty conditions.
Three Blazes battled it out.
Andy Farrer made it to the windward mark first with Simon Caird close behind.
Peter Jones got past both on the run and went on to take the win on handicap with Caird second and Farrer third.
In the second race, Tim and Sally Cutsforth (Laser 4000) rapidly pulled away.
Mapley squeezed in for another good start, allowing him to get away from Martin Jones and maintain a better handicap time than Powell, sailing well up the beats.
But the Blazes again pushed each other around the course and did better than the other classes on handicap.
Jones pulled away from the others for another win and Farrer just got in front of Caird as they crossed the line.
The wind picked up for the afternoon race and the gusts took racers by surprise, with capsizes all over the course.
Schofield had a good start, with the Cutsforths and Farrer.
Tim Boswick and Steve Pearce (Vago) flew their spinnaker on every available leg, allowing them to beat Powell on handicap.
The Cutsforths pulled away further in this race and split the Blazes on handicap timing with Jones taking his third win and Farrer third.
CHICHESTER
For the last two races in the Lady Todd Trophy series, the wind was up a force or two.
The race officer organised a committee-boat start, with a beat to Bowling, a reach to Lake, another reach to Longmore and a beat back to the line. It made for exciting racing.
In the fast fleet, Peter and Suzy Harrison won the first race in their Laser 2000, with Nick and Roger Elliman second in their RS400, and Graham and Matt Ponsford third in their RS500.
In the second race, with fewer starters, the Ellimans won, with Meryl Deane and Ian Payne second in their RS200, and David and Yvette Thair third in their RS500.
Mark Harer won the medium fleet in his Finn followed by Laurence Murray in his Solo and Ivan Western in his Laser.
In the final race, Murray, won, Western was second, and John Fisher third in another Solo.
The series was taken by the Ellimans, with eight points, followed by the Thairs (15), and the Deane/Payne pair (19).
Harper won the medium fleet with 13 points, with Murray second (18) and Roger Millett third (22). James Booker won the slow fleet.
BOGNOR
Bognor YC's spring series continued on a sunny day but the number of entries was depleted.
Six crews prepared for a low water course which took them to Felpham in light but gusty north-easterly winds.
The racing was competitive but for one crew on a Hobie 14, the trapeze wire snapped, resulting in a capsize.
The rest of the fleet raced away with Martin and Dave White on their Dart and Paul Adams and Debbie Nightingale on a Hobie 16 having a close battle.
Joe Elwin on the Nacra was having a good race but without the aid of his spinnaker.
Matt Burnett in his Laser 4000 often found himself pointing the wrong way with an inexperienced crew, and eventually retired.
First home were the Whites, followed by Adams and Nightingale with Joe Elwin and Chris Shephard third.
The second race saw the fleet reduced to four but racing was again competitive and Martin White quickly sailed away in the lead.
The two Whites completed a successful day by winning the second race. In second place was Phil Vigneault with Elwin and Shephard again third.
DELL QUAY
A busy weekend sailed on late afternoon tides included varied racing over four days.
On Friday evening the club held a junior training session.
Saturday's Longmore series involved one extended race, while Sunday saw a series of short races. And on Monday the club held a race in the evening series.
Saturday's race saw the RS400s of Malcolm and Jean Buchanan and Bob Marshall and Mike Savage pull away from the 14-strong fleet to take line honours.
But Bill Dawber, in his first outing in his new Solo, led on handicap, followed by Julie and Andrew Rooker (Wayfarer) in second and Graham and Lucy Dalton (Laser 2000) third.
In Sunday's breeze, Bill Dawber won all four short races. Malcolm Buchanan, also sailing a Solo, was second in three, the other second place going to Richard and Susie Wilde sailing their Wayfarer.
Bruce Dupee, sailing a Mirror single-handed, finished third.
In Sunday's junior race, Ben Hoddy (Laser) chose the smaller 4.7 rig and won all four races from Stu Denyer and Sam Denyer, who used medium-sized radial rigs on their Lasers.
As a number of adult Laser sailors have moved to Solos, a group of keen juniors have moved up into the fleet.
On Monday it was soon apparent the Solos would take full advantage of the lighter winds and although Chris West (Laser), having led for most of the race, was first across the line, the Solos of Bill Dawber and Chris Ede were close enough to lead on handicap, with Julie and Andrew Rooker (Wayfarer) Third.
Dell Quay hold a Solo open meeting on Saturday and it will be interesting to see how those new to the fleet, fare against experienced crews.
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 29 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: South west
