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Sailing: Victory is a Shaw thing at Itchenor
We're well into racing season at our local sailing clubs, and this week's round-up features action from Itchenor, Bosham, Dell Quay and Chichesfer.
ITCHENOR
A strong fleet of 20 XODs from Itchenor Sailing Club competed for the Joan Shaw Memorial Trophy.
In the first race, three boats were adjudged over the line.
Two other competitors went too close to the shallows and went hard aground.
Of those who finished, Damian Ash's Wenda was first followed by Mike Shaw and David Humphrey in Perdix and Tom and Carole Tait in Xtravagance.
In the second race, Wenda again triumphed despite the challenge of Phoenix helmed by British Universities match race champion Andrew Shaw.
There were many changes of position during the next race, but Perdix came through the fleet during the final run to the finish to take first ahead of Bill Barnes and Chris Leaver's Gone Away. Peter Taylor's Felix was a close third.
The leader throughout the final race was Steve Lawrence in Catherine. Second was Terrapin (Roy Griggs and Robin Wootton) with Felix again third.
In the final calculations, Mike Shaw and David Humphrey in Perdix came out on top with Gone Away second and Felix third.
BOSHAM
In its sixth year, Bosham's senior sailing week for the club's over-21s attracted an impressive entry of more than 70 dinghies and dayboats and more than 120 sailors.
The fleet was divided into four categories, classic dayboats, fast/medium handicap, slow handicap and Chichester Scows.
The fast/medium handicap category had 24 entries, ranging from elderly Wayfarers and Albacores to modern RS400s and Topper Spices.
Among the oldest boats was Paul Dewing's Chichester Harbour 18 Flight, built in 1938, and Alistair Boyd and Stephen Smyth's Thames estuary OD Sanderling.
Principal race officer Stuart Martell set challenging courses for all categories. Wednesday proved testing in the fresh easterlies and plenty returned wet but smiling after exhilarating conditions in the harbour.
Thursday's conditions were less severe and everybody had achieved their three races for the series' trophies.
On Friday, each category completed a long-distance race from BSC into the farther reaches of the harbour.
Winners: Frank Parham Salver (Chichester Scows) Izzie Lee in Happy Bunny, Festival Cup (Slow Handicap) Alistair Boyd & Stephen Smyth in Thames, Estuary OD Sanderling Currey Cup (Fast/Medium H/C) Dick Pratt in Finn Air Pocket, Plymouth Cup (CDB) David Edmund-Jones & Andrew Young in Chichester Harbour 18 Seafire.
DELL QUAY
Saturday afternoon's tide and the fine weather attracted 17 boats. In the Bosun handicap race, Peter King and Richard Craven (RS 400) were first to cross the line.
Julie and Andrew Rooker (Wayfarer) showed skill sailing inshore against the flood tide to lead the fleet, followed by the Laser 2000 sailed by Anne and Jim Norfolk.
On corrected time, the Rookers finished first with the Norfolks second.
The Captain series race provided close racing between the Laser 2000s and Chris and Helen Turner's Fireball.
The Norfolks forged a clear lead and finished well ahead of the fleet.
Second place went to the Rookers.
A close finish between Gordon Barclay in a new Solo and Bill Munnery, who had bought Barclay's previous boat, went to Munnery.
The Copperas race, for those new to racing, was won by Simon Clark and Clare Lang in their Miracle with Colin Melhuish second in a Mirror.
Sunday's racing almost didn't happen as light rain fell and the wind dropped to zero.
But the wind came back and 13 boats lined up to start in the light southerly breeze.
The Solos sailed by Richard Ede and Bill Dawber beat the other boats on the water.
Ede won the first two races, Dawber winning the third and fourth.
Dawber now has six first places and one second in the series, meaning he cannot be beaten. The junior short races were split between Ben Hoddy and Sam Denyer.
Sunday will see the club host their Topper open.
CHICHESTER
Chichester YC had a splendid day's sailing on Saturday and a rather less satisfactory day on Sunday, when it was overcast and the wind light.
On Sunday came news that Mattie Ponsford, at the age of 16, had achieved remarkable results in the round the island race.
Sailing Pocket Rocket, the small family yacht, and crewed by his father, Graham, and his friend Adam Kitchen, he was fifth in his class, 21st overall out of around 1,500 boats and won the Youngest Helm Challenge Trophy.
He reported they hadn't had a good start, and heard of his success almost by accident.
They arrived for prize-giving with only 15 minutes to spare.
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Weather for Chichester
Tuesday 14 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 6 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 10 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North west
