Past Event Reports

2019 Osprey Welsh & Midland Championship - Blithfield Sailing Club

Huw Pearce Event Reports 06 March 2024 Hits: 126

Report by Ian McDonald 27-28 April 2019

A game of one half!

Competitors for the Osprey Midland and Welsh Championship at Blithfield SC in Staffordshire, were greeted by winds over 50 mph. For the club it was the 37th consecutive annual Osprey Open. If nothing else had been learned, it was when social took over from sailing. So Saturday became time to chat, catch up with friends and the odd glass of beer with the Blithfield "Osprey Ladies" providing a top quality meal until late in the evening.

Sundays conditions were perfect with a stiff breeze down the reservoir. A first beat approaching one mile and open water for the exclusive use of the class. An early 9.30am start allowed three races to be run to a good length.

Race 1 saw 2018 national champions Terry Curtis and Peter Greig win with Scottish traveller's Alan Henderson and Alastair Barrie in second. Local boat Jon Batt and Jon Gibbons won race two with this time Alistair Reynard and Rob Burdekin chasing hard. Although the beat was a long one, downwind the fleet was compressing and racing was close throughout. The final race allowed Curtis and Greig in their older, wooden Mk3 get back to the front, with the "Two Jons" in second. Another wooden boat in third was raced by Alex Willis and Jonathan Osgood.

Long serving PRO Bill Watson and his race team controlled the expected well run event. With the dreadful weather forecast,the Osprey fleet itself is thanked by the club for joining us. Traveller's from Scotland, Wales and all points on the South Coast show the commitment to the class.

Blithfield looks forward to the 38th event.

Overall

Sailed: 3, Discards: 1, To count: 2, Entries: 12, Scoring system: Appendix A

Rank	SailNo	Boat Name	Year Built	Builder	Material	Mark	Helm		Crew	Sailing Club	Total	Net	R3	R4	R5
1st	1234	Plan B		Jeff Hewitt	Wood Wood	MkIII	Terry Curtis		Peter Greig	Weymouth SC	5.0	2.0	1.0	(3.0)	1.0
2nd	1331	Ondeline		Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Jon Batt		Jon Gibbons	Blithfield SC	7.0	3.0	(4.0)	1.0	2.0
3rd	1363	Robbers Alley	2016	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Alistair Raynard		Rob Burdekin	Carsington SC	11.0	5.0	3.0	2.0	(6.0)
4th	1292	Light & Bitter		A Dobson / Robert Shaw	Wood Wood	MkIII	Alex Willis	F	Jonathan Osgood	Aldenham SC	16.0	7.0	(9.0)	4.0	3.0
5th	1367		2017	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Alan Henderson		Alastair Barrie	Prestwick SC	17.0	9.0	2.0	(8.0)	7.0
6th	1347	Pipe n Slippers	2011	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Phil Meakins		Nick Willis	Warsash SC	16.0	10.0	5.0	(6.0)	5.0
7th	1369	Dark Matter	2017	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Roger Blake		James Blake	Great Moor SC	18.0	11.0	(7.0)	7.0	4.0
8th	1368	LOL		Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Steve Leney		Paul Keeling	Blithfield SC	22.0	13.0	8.0	5.0	(9.0)
9th	1350	WARNING...Contains Nuts	2012	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Alec Mamwell		Arthur Butler	Coniston SC	23.0	14.0	6.0	(9.0)	8.0
10th	1114	Just Pogo	1976	WJ Morrison- Gardiner	Wood Wood	MkIII	Ros Downs	F	David Downs	Tata Steel SC	30.0	20.0	(10.0)	10.0	10.0
11th	1341	yLost	2009	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Will Chrichton		Jerry Brookes	Ribble CC Blithfield SC	34.0	22.0	11.0	11.0	(12.0)
12th	1329	Ram		Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Peter Slater		Alex Smith	Blithfield SC	37.0	24.0	(DNF [13.0])	DNS [13.0]	11.0