A GAME OF THREE HALVES!
Blithfield SC were the hosts for a three day festival of Osprey sailing, with sunshine most of the weekend. The fun started on Friday 17th April when Jim Hunt from HD Sails ran a superb coaching day. 11 boats were put through a rigorous session of starts, match racing and downwind starts. Jim finished the day with full feedback, reviewing the on water video. The training day was free to association members.
Saturday 18th saw the racing begin for the Osprey Inland Championships in a puffy shifty 15-18 mph breeze. 20 boats took part with 40 year old classics (with carbon updates) competing at the front alongside the latest designs. Defending Champions Chris Gould and Nick Broomhall took all three races. Gareth Caldwell and Jon Gibbons along with Martin Cooney and Peter Frith (in a carbon updated classic) gained consistent top three places. Alec Mamwell and Arthur Butler were the only team to break up this trio, taking a third place in Race 2, while other teams showing well near the front included Mark Weston/ Tim Keighley, Phil Meakin/ Chris Dodd and Rob Shaw/ Ian Little.
A major focus of the weekend was the evening social and Hog Roast, with much chat about the exciting new Mark 5 Osprey, which arrives in January 2016. Builders Hartley Boats have a very healthy order book for Mark 5s, so the class is in confident mood looking forward.
Sunday brought much lighter winds and a tighter fleet - but mostly similar protagonists at the front. However Philip Meakin showed that you don’t need a second row forward as crew to sail an Osprey fast, by moving up the rankings with his daughter crewing that day. Gould and Broomhall won both races to successfully defend their Championship, with Caldwell and Gibbons second and Cooney/ Frith third. New team Duncan Adams and Corey Newton did well on the second day, taking a pair of fifth places as they got to grips with their new boat. Alex and Nick Willis finished the event well with a third place in the final race.
After two races we returned to shore after another excellent event. A major part of the success is due to OOD Bill Watson and his wonderful race and rescue team afloat, and to the excellent food team ashore. Thanks all!
Next Osprey open meeting is at Mounts Bay on May 2/3. Next class training day is at Castle Cove, on 10 July.
For videos of Blithfield training and Inlands, see Sail Osprey Facebook page.
Overall Results
| Rank | Boat | SailNo | Club | HelmName | CrewName | Race 1 | R2 | R3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Total | Nett |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oh spray! | 1311 | Blithfield SC | Chris Gould | Nick Broomhall | (1.0) | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| 2 | Odeline | 1331 | Blithfield SC | Gareth Caldwell | Jon Gibbons | 3.0 | 2.0 | 2.0 | 3.0 | (DNF [21.0]) | 31.0 | 10.0 |
| 3 | Swift Wun | 1290 | Poole YC | Martin Cooney | Peter Frith | 2.0 | (4.0) | 3.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 15.0 | 11.0 |
| 4 | Pipe n Slippers | 1347 | Warsash SC | Philip Meakin | Chris Dodd/Bryony Meakin | 6.0 | (11.0) | 4.0 | 2.0 | 6.0 | 29.0 | 18.0 |
| 5 | 1356 | West Riding | Mark Weston | Tim Kieghley | 4.0 | (12.0) | 5.0 | 11.0 | 4.0 | 36.0 | 24.0 | |
| 6 | 1357 | Staunton Harold SC | Duncan Adams | Corey Newton | (DNF [21.0]) | 9.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 | 5.0 | 46.0 | 25.0 | |
| 7 | Mara | 1337 | Kielder | Rob Shaw | Ian Little | 5.0 | 6.0 | 7.0 | (8.0) | 7.0 | 33.0 | 25.0 |
| 8 | Waimanu | 1291 | H I SC | Alex Willis | Nick willis | (11.0) | 5.0 | 8.0 | 10.0 | 3.0 | 37.0 | 26.0 |
| 9 | Contains nuts | 1350 | Alec Mamwell | Arthur Butler | 8.0 | 3.0 | 9.0 | 9.0 | (10.0) | 39.0 | 29.0 | |
| 10 | Light N bitter | 1292 | Teignmouth Corynthian | Paul Heather | Jonathan Osgood | (16.0) | 8.0 | 12.0 | 6.0 | 9.0 | 51.0 | 35.0 |
| 11 | Infidel | 1085 | George Odling | Harry Odling | 7.0 | (14.0) | 11.0 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 56.0 | 42.0 | |
| 12 | Uzi Jane | 1316 | Prestwick SC | Alan Henderson | Alastair Barrie | (15.0) | 15.0 | 14.0 | 7.0 | 8.0 | 59.0 | 44.0 |
| 13 | 1297 | Marconi SC | Miike Taylor | Jon Willy | 13.0 | 7.0 | (DNF [21.0]) | 13.0 | 13.0 | 67.0 | 46.0 | |
| 14 | Curved Air | 1338 | IOSSC | Kenny Brown | Chris Butters | 12.0 | 10.0 | (DNF [21.0]) | 15.0 | 11.0 | 69.0 | 48.0 |
| 15 | Fish for Tea | 1329 | Greatmoor SC | Roger Blake | Jamie Blake | 10.0 | 13.0 | 15.0 | (16.0) | 14.0 | 68.0 | 52.0 |
| 16 | Secret diaries | 1285 | Blithfield SC | Ian McDonald | Martin Bower | 9.0 | 17.0 | 10.0 | (DNF [21.0]) | DNF [21.0] | 78.0 | 57.0 |
| 17 | Just Pogo | 1114 | Tata Steel | Ros Downs | David Downs | 14.0 | (16.0) | 13.0 | 14.0 | 16.0 | 73.0 | 57.0 |
| 18 | Fiddlestix | 1340 | Shoreham SC | John Mills | Carolyn Mills | 17.0 | (18.0) | 16.0 | 17.0 | 15.0 | 83.0 | 65.0 |
| 19 | Magician | 1181 | Ribble Cruising club | Bill Chrithon | Peter Jones | (DNC [21.0]) | 19.0 | DNF [21.0] | 18.0 | 17.0 | 96.0 | 75.0 |
| 20 | Flying Machine | 854 | BCYC | Boris Morrrice | Angus Morrice | (DNS [21.0]) | DNF [21.0] | 17.0 | 19.0 | 18.0 | 96.0 | 75.0 |
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