Series silverware show at Weymouth (From Dorset Echo)

Series silverware show at Weymouth

8:30am Friday 23rd December 2011 in News By Laura Kitching

TROPHIES have been presented following Weymouth Sailing Club’s final series races.

Members enjoyed clear skies, sunshine and a steady 14-knot breeze after icy conditions earlier this month.

The outstanding feature of this year’s autumn and winter racing has been the wind.

Most races were held in 20 plus knots of breeze with gusts well into the 40s making for some fast racing, breakages and retirements.

Blue skies in December signalled a drop in temperature, so first job of the day for most crews was to clear the ice off the decks.

Going into the final Sunday, Joel Wood on Excalibur had the IRC series sewn up with four firsts already in hand, while Andy Campbell-Watson, helming Fox’d II, had to be content with second place having not repeated the performances that swept him to victory in the autumn series.

Wood finished in style, grabbing another first place some 14 seconds ahead of Watson after completing the five-mile course and therefore securing the silverware.

In the PY class, Ricky Bruton on Effusion, like Wood in the IRC, had the series sewn up with four firsts in the bag.

However, surprise winner was Gary Warr in his diminutive boat Echo. His result hauled him up to third position in the standings, two points behind Paul Barford.

Paul Elson, sailing Orion, walked off with the Achilles Heel trophy – a match racing series held within the autumn and winter series for Achilles 9m boats.

Commodore Mark Bugler led the Squib class on Saskia V although he had to finish lower than third with Dave McCune on Inky Finger taking first to stand any chance of losing the silverware.

Bugler did not disappoint, finishing first so taking the trophy.

o o o TWO more races remain in the WSC calendar – the roar of cannons will fill the air as finishers cross the line as they contend the popular Icebreaker and Frostbite trophies on Boxing Day morning.

Competitors will finish outside of Weymouth Sailing Club’s Nothe Parade headquarters, next to the lifeboat station.

Always a spectacle, from 11.30am onwards, the public can get a grandstand view of boats battling up the harbour, either against the tide, or if the wind is from the east, with the boats under colourful spinnakers.

The final race of the season, although the first of the New Year, is held on January 1.

Sailors get the chance to blow away the cobwebs after the previous evening’s celebrations with a reward of a hearty brunch back in the clubhouse.