Miracle and Mirror Open at Whitefriars Sailing Club
by David Dyson 20 Jun 02:48 PDT
15-16 June 2024
Whitefriars Miracle and Mirror Open © Robert Owen
Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June saw Whitefriars SC hosting the joint Mirror & Miracle Open Meeting, an event which doubled up as the Miracle Southern Area Championship.
As in previous years, the event proved to be a popular one with up to 20 boats on the water across the weekend, with competitors travelling from as far as Bolton, Southampton, and Cambridgeshire. The weekend saw some very close racing in both classes, with Saturday proving particularly challenging due to a gusty South-Westerly peaking at 33 knots during the second race.
With two races on the itinerary for Saturday, the day started in lively fashion with very changeable and lively conditions with winds well into the late 20's knots. Dave Turtle & Zara Frankton (4026) made the best start off the line for the Miracles, something which was to set the tone somewhat for the weekend, with Wayne Atherton & Angela Sweeney (4121) close behind along with Gerald & Frances Copsy (4120). The race for the top 3 Miracles was soon joined by Andrew Robinson & Hannah Mumford (4123), but with the top 2 remaining unchanged until the finishing line. For the Mirrors, the best start was to be had by Nick & Edie Charles (70961), followed by Leighton & Penny King (70587) and Richard & Sophie Trevithick (59254). The Mirrors had a much closer battle throughout with Leighton & Penny overhauling Nick and Edie to claim top spot, with Paul & Gabriel Nichols (71007) coming in 3rd.
With conditions getting ever more challenging, everyone continued sailing into race 2. With many of the Mirrors in particular sailing with very young crew, all spectators were of the same view that the youngsters showed exceptional fortitude and no little skill in continuing to stay out. Despite the conditions, the outcomes in terms of podium finishes were identical to race 1 for both classes.
Following a well-earned BBQ and a good night's rest, Sunday dawned to a much quieter day; more to the liking of some competitors with maybe a few others wishing for something a little more. The winds were nonetheless very sailable, with gusts reaching 15 knots and bright sunshine to accompany them. With 3 races to complete, a busy day was ahead, but even with the lighter conditions, the top 3 or 4 places were dominated in the main by the same boats as the day before, especially in the Miracles. Dave & Zara proved very difficult to overhaul, though they were consistently given a close run by Wayne & Angela, and with Paul Robinson & Emily (4110) moving up the field to secure two 4th place spots alongside Richard Smith & Minty (3813) gaining a 3rd and 4th place, there was some excellent racing throughout. Of particular note was an incredibly close battle for 2nd in the last race between Wayne & Angela and Andrew & Hannah, with the latter securing 2nd, just.
The Mirrors had some similarly close racing throughout, with some new competitors in the mix for day 2, most notably Adam & Arabella Broughton (71014). They took two 2nd places and a 1st in the final race to make their single day well worth the round trip from Chew Valley SC. Still there was no moving Leighton & Penny from 1st spot in the first race of the day, with the Broughton & Charles families battling it out for 2nd and 3rd; with the Broughtons just coming out with 2nd. The final two races of the event saw the same two families battling throughout, albeit for top spot, but with David Palmer (41040) and David Benjamin (71026) claiming a 3rd and a 4th in the last race respectively to bring some variety at the finishing line and some home club pride to boot.
Congratulations to Dave Turtle and Zara Frankton (Miracle) and to Leighton & Penny King (Mirror) who at about 4pm on Sunday claimed their just reward for some excellent sailing - well done to all four.
A massive thank you to the race team, who led by Liz MacDonald set a course all competitors were happy with in very challenging conditions on Saturday. Equal thanks must also go to the volunteers & duty teams at Whitefriars SC for helping to run the event, plus Liam who cooked an excellent BBQ on the Saturday evening and Simon Portman for preparing a very welcome Ploughman's Lunch on Sunday. Indeed, the Lemon Drizzle cake baked by Karen Robinson (wife of Paul) was good enough to get a mention by the winning Mirror team!
On a final note, it was brilliant to see the Miracles & Mirrors sharing an event; watching nearly 20 'sister' boats all on the water at once was a brilliant sight, and for anyone who doubts the excitement of sailing some of the older classes of dinghy, you should have been at Whitefriars SC on the afternoon of Saturday 15th June 2024!
Overall Results:
Mirror
1) 70587 - Leighton King & Penny King
2) 71014 - Adam Broughton & Arabella Broughton
3) 70961 - Nick Charles & Edie Charles
4) 71026 - David Benjamin (Single Hander)
5) 70513 - Ron Vass (Single Hander)
6) 71007 - Paul Nichols & Gabriel Nichols
7) 69000 - Mark Holden (Single Hander)
8) 59254 - Richard Trevithick & Sophie Trevithick
9) 71040 - David Palmer (Single Hander)
10) 70627 - Derek Butterworth
11) 6869 - Richard Adamson
Miracle
1. 4026 - David Turtle & Zara Frankton
2. 4121 - Wayne Atherton & Angela Sweeney
3. 4123 - Andrew Robinson & Hannah Mumford
4. 3813 - Richard Smith & Minty
5. 4110 - Paul Robinson & Nathan Robinson / Emily
6. 4120 - Gerald Copsey & Frances Copsey
7. 3717 - Toby Owen & Tobias Portman