Comet Open at Sandwell Valley Sailing Club
by Matt Robinson 22 May 2006 23:38 PDT
21 May 2006
5 visitors joined 1 home boat for the Sandwell Valley open meeting on Sunday 21st May.
The competitors where greeted with rain and winds from 10mph gusting to 25mph. The start of race 1 saw Bennett & Coppenhall going left up the beat & rounding 1st and 2nd comfortably from Hankinson. The 2nd lap saw Coppenhall overhaul Bennett for the lead. Bennett losing boat speed and slipping down the fleet with each lap, retired with a boat full of water (missing bung!).
Race 2 saw Bennet & Coppenhall 1st & 2nd from the start until the final lap. Hankinson found his way through the final beat to take line honours.
Race 3 saw it all to sail for with 3 competitors able to win the event. Bennet, Coppenhall & Hankinson were in close quarters from the start. Bennett doing a 720 penalty ended the 1st lap down in 5th. By the end of lap 2 Bennett pulled back through to 1st. Positions changed continually between Coppenhall & Bennett with Bennett finally taking line honours.
With the top 3 competitors all having 3 points, the event was decided on discards with 1st & 2nd place decided on race 3 positions.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 532 | John Coppenhall | Hunts | 3 |
| 2nd | 374 | Ian Hankinson | Aldridge | 3 |
| 3rd | 620 | Alan Bennett | Staunton Harold | 3 |
| 4th | 756 | Simon Parkes | Sandwell Valley | 7 |
| 5th | 644 | Nigel Ford | Olton Mere | 8 |
| 6th | 142 | Michael Collier | Aldridge | 11 |