Please select your home edition
Edition
Maritimo 2023 S-Series LEADERBOARD

Laser and Enterprise Open at Penarth Yacht Club

by Keith Whitfield 24 May 2017 10:53 PDT 20-21 May 2017
Ed Higson (right hand of nearest boats) and Ben Flower battling for the lead during the Laser and Enterprise Open at Penarth © Tracey Dunford

Penarth Yacht Club's two main fleets decided to share a weekend for their Open Meetings this year, the Lasers holding theirs on the Saturday (as part of the Wessex Grand Prix), with the Enterprise fleet officiating, and the Laser sailors returning the favour for the Ents on the Sunday.

This event was a part of the Severnside/Dragon Trophy series. The new arrangement worked well, even though the turnout was somewhat down on previous years. The non-attenders missed some great racing.

The Laser event was sailed in a boisterous south-westerly blowing off the cliffs, making the approach to the windward mark more than a little tricky. The youth sailors showed their more experienced competitors how it was done. After a closely fought series of four races, Ed Higson won the Standard fleet, beating last year's winner Ben Flower on countback. John Ling was a close third.

The Radials were won by Haydn Lavender, again on countback, after local sailor Aran Pitter uncharacteristically dropped it in at the gybe mark in the final race. A gritty and determined performance by Keith Edwards saw him snatch third place.

The Ents enjoyed much more benign conditions, a steady 10 knot south-easterly that offered champagne sailing under bright blue skies. Ioan Lavery and Chris Keitley dominated proceedings, leading off every start line and jealously guarding the favoured right hand side of the beat. An intense battle behind them saw Richard Leach and Jane Pickford just pip Stephen Lucey and Claudia Haynes for second place.

A special mention should be made for Penarth's nonagenarian (90 years young, if you need to know), Peter Webb, who helped Steve Cranston give the hurry-up to the leaders on numerous occasions, finishing a creditable fifth. Fresh from their victory in the club's Frostbite series, the Cranston-Webb team relished the conditions, and Peter put a lot of his younger compatriots to shame by giving it everything in all four races. Sailing is truly a sport that can be enjoyed by 'youngsters' of all ages!

Related Articles

Penarth Yacht Club Regatta 2024
Optimism rewarded with six full races over the weekend Penarth YC held their annual sailing regatta on the weekend of 29th and 30th of June. Despite a worrying forecast of very little wind, sailors from several clubs arrived to take part and their optimism was rewarded with six full races over the weekend. Posted on 3 Jul
Enterprises at Penarth
Big waves put off some from racing The forecast was for heavy winds from the Northeast. Penarth YC faces east and the fetch from Bristol is long enough to produce off-putting waves on the shore. Several crews had already made their minds that it was not for them. Posted on 26 Apr 2022
Enterprises at Penarth
Sailing Chandlery National Circuit Round 7 The seventh round of the Sailing Chandlery National Circuit was raced at Penarth Yacht Club on 7th/8th September in near tropical conditions, with a light Force 2 wind. Posted on 11 Sep 2019
Enterprise Severnside Area Championship
SailingChandlery.com Enterprise National Circuit Round 4 at Penarth This event the fourth in the Enterprise National Circuit sponsored by SailingChandlery.com was held at Penarth Yacht Club on 23rd/24th June. Seven boats including two visitors from Burghfield and Midland Sailing clubs joined the local fleet. Posted on 29 Jun 2018
Enterprise Severnside Area Championship
11 boats race at Penarth Yacht Club The Enterprise Area championship was held at Penarth Yacht Club 13th & 14th August 2016. Unfavourable tides had dictated the event was scheduled for the middle of August. Posted on 16 Aug 2016
Penarth Yacht Club wins
Enterprise 60th anniversary photo competition To celebrate the Enterprise dinghy in its 60th anniversary year, the Enterprise Association organised a photo competition of Enterprise boats and sailors at clubs all over the UK and internationally. Posted on 11 Apr 2016
Enterprise Severnside Area Championship
Twenty-one teams race at Penarth Twenty-one Enterprises entered the Enterprise Severnside Area Championship, hosted by Penarth Yacht Club on Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th June 2014. Posted on 11 Jun 2014
Hundreds enjoy Penarth's Active Marina
Success for RYA scheme in South Wales Hundreds of watersports enthusiasts have taken advantage of the opportunities at Penarth Quays since it joined the Active Marina scheme run by the RYA. Posted on 11 Jun 2014
Push the Boat Out boosts Penarth sailing
20 new members at Penarth Yacht Club Penarth Yacht Club got more than 20 new members and has booked up their sailing lessons thanks to opening the club as part of the national campaign to Push the Boat Out. Posted on 28 May 2014
Enterprise racing at Penarth Yacht Club Regatta
A qualifying event for the Severnside Area Series The Enterprise racing at Penarth Regatta on the weekend of August 31st September 1st was also a qualifying event for the Enterprise Association Severnside Area series. Three visiting boats joined eighteen Penarth boats for a weekend of great racing. Posted on 3 Sep 2013
Maritimo 2023 M600 FOOTERTrinidad and Tobago - Sail Service Stay