Solo Northern Travellers at West Riding Sailing Club
by John Gledhill 14 May 2013 22:44 PDT
12 May 2013
First lap reach during the 2013 West Riding Solo open ©Nick Turley
The fleet unleashed up the first beat during the West Riding Solo open © Nick Turley
James Porter finishes 5th at the West Riding Solo open ©Nick Turley
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The seasonal calendar went into reverse as a cold south westerly blew in for West Riding SC's Solo Northern Travellers event on 12th May. The weather didn't deter a quality fleet of 24 Solos, including fifteen visitors, who set to with customary vigour to produce a great day's racing with the event result going down to the wire, being decided on the final lap of the day.
After the customary general recall, West Riding hopes rose as club members John and Jonathan Gledhill led the first lap of the opening race from visitor Nick Hornsby. They soon evaporated as John Gledhill and Nick Hornsby were pulled out for OCS and Jonathan Gledhill was swallowed up by the chasing pack on the second lap. Steve Denison quickly took the lead of a bunch consisting of, Andy Crouch, Oliver Dumbleton and Chris Gillard. Conditions were challenging with the wind up and down, blustery and swinging, producing plenty opportunities for place changing. Oliver Dumbleton got it right on the final lap to win from Andy Couch with Steve Denison dropping to third ahead of Chris Gillard. Noticeable progress through the fleet after slow starts was made by speed merchants James Porter and Steve Graham in 5th and 6th places.
After an appropriately warming lunch, Race Officer Matt Cook tweaked the course as the wind started to back towards the south for the final two back-to-back races. It was Andy Couch who was first out of the traps in race 2, but the two Steves, Denison and Graham, went ahead on the second lap with James Porter and Oliver Dumbleton completing the leading quintet. Despite the still fractured wind, that's the way it stayed to the end with the group attached by a slowly stretching piece of string. Denison's win made for an interesting final race with himself, Steve Graham, Oliver Dumbleton and Andy Couch all in contention.
As the wind deepened into the south, it increased in strength as the final race progressed; causing a couple of capsizes at the final gybe mark. Hamish Gledhill, sailing a borrowed boat, nailed the start to take an early lead, but Steve Graham had the bit between his teeth and went ahead by the end of the lap. He held the lead for the first 3 laps with overall victory in his sights, but Steve Denison had moved up to second and inch by inch clawed back to within a few boat lengths. The final lap was nail-biting as Denison squeezed out from under Graham's lee on the beat and pull ahead to win the race with Oliver Dumbleton 3rd, Andy Couch 4th and Hamish Gledhill just holding off Chris Gillard for 5th.
So it was that for the second year running it was Steve Denison's turn to keep the trophy clean for another year.
Overall Results:
1. Steve Denison, 5263 (Hollingworth Lake SC) 2pts
2. Oliver Dumbleton, 5003 (Nantwich & Border Counties SC) 4pts
3. Steve Graham, 5386 (Burwain SC) 4pts
4. Andy Couch, 5418 (RYA) 5pts
5. James Porter, 5370 (West Riding SC) 9pts
6. Chris Gillard, 5417 (Sheffield Vikings SC) 10pts
7. Hamish Gledhill, 4957 (West Riding SC) 13pts
8. Nick Hornsby, 4842 (Hollingworth Lake SC) 16pts
9. John Gledhill, 4751 (West Riding SC) 17pts
10. David Tunnicliffe, 5179 (Halifax SC) 17pts
11. Jonathan Gledhill, 4576 (West Riding SC) 21pts
12. Ian Smith, 5413 (Ripon SC) 22pts
13. Tony Wright, 5165 (Delph SC) 23pts
14. Kevin Vials, 5408 (Ripon SC) 23pts
15. Richard Pryke, 3766 (Ripon SC) 25pts
16. Tony Sampson, 5416 (South Caernarvonshire YC) 25pts
17. Martin Miller, 4622 (Ripon SC) 28pts
18. Merv Griffiths, 4662 (West Riding SC) 35pts
19. John Wadsworth, 5044 (West Riding SC) 35pts
20. Simon Anderson, 4710 (Ripon SC) 37pts
21. Grant Edwards, 5247 (Budworth SC) 38pts
22. Paul Brunner, 4447 (West Riding SC) 41pts
23. Pat Percival, 4368 (West Riding SC) 43pts
24. Roger Perry, 4497 (West Riding SC) 46pts
