This year the Osprey class has launched two Regional Series to give sailors the chance of local competition, to add to the opportunity to sail in the class’s National Wilkinson Sword series and Championships. The Lakes and Borders series has just concluded, while the South Wales series will finish in October 24/25. Then there will be the final round of the National series, where a number of competitors have the chance of clinching the series at the End of Seasons at Rutland SC on November 1/ 2. So the class’s season is building up to the finish, with winners still to be decided.

The Lakes and Borders series started at Kielder Water Sailing Club, near the Scottish Border, on May 3/ 4. In light winds, Alan Henderson and Alastair Barrie took first place, from locals Viola and Mike Scott.

The second event was at the next Bank Holiday weekend in May at Coniston, allowing three days of racing and seven races. But it was not until the last leg of the seventh race that the winners emerged, with Henderson and Barrie overtaking Rob Shaw and Ian Little to clinch a second event in an up and down regatta, with close competition throughout.

After a pause for the class’s 40 boat National Championships in July, the series resumed at Ullswater in August. In the best winds of the series on the Saturday, Rob Shaw and Ian Little showed their paces, but were pegged back by Henderson and Barrie in light breezes on the Sunday.

Fourth event in the series was the Scottish & Northern Championships, sailed at Kielder Water in early September. Alec Mamwell and Arthur Butler starred on the first day to lead overnight, but another second day recovery by Henderson and Barrie gave them the Championship, and the series.

The series was sponsored by Creation Covers, run by Osprey sailor Chris Gould, and the new series made a successful debut by attracting boats from Scotland and the North of England, plus occasional visitors from the South.

Following successful debuts this year by the two Regional series in the Lakes & Borders and South Wales, the class will add a new Southern Regional series in 2015.

Sponsored by Creation Covers

The final event planned for the Lakes & Borders series was blown off last weekend, so the final series results were;

4 events were sailed, so 3 to count.

DNC = Number of competitors in series, plus one, so 10 pts.

Competitors need to sail two or more events to qualify for series positions.