Past Event Reports

2019 Tata Steel Open

Huw Pearce Event Reports 06 March 2024 Hits: 151

Osprey Open Meeting at Tata Sailing Club 13^th and 14^th April

Report by David Downs

The first leg of the Osprey Wilkinson Sword Series 2019 was held at Tata Steel SC on the 13^th and 14^th April. Twelve boats entered and were greeted by sunshine and a bitterly cold and blustery South Easterly wind. The wind direction enabled the Race Officer John Lockett to set a big triangular course using most of the lake, however with the wind coming off the land there were plenty of shifts and big gusts to challenge the competitors. Downwind there was one very broad spinnaker reach and a fantastic two sail reach across the lake which really allowed the Ospreys to get going.

DJ Edwards and Alistair Ramsden sailing the Jenkins Mark IV showed us all how it should be done with three straight wins on the Saturday. Their boat always seemed to be perfectly upright through all the gusts, shifts and lulls while further down the fleet most experienced several tee-baggings and other such manoeuvers.

After an enjoyable social at a local pub on the Saturday night, Sunday morning brought a similar wind direction but if anything a bit stronger and colder than Saturday. Two races were held back to back. DJ and Alistair won the first one and from Mark Weston and Simon Hawkes and both then called it a day as they had done enough and could not better their overall result. Others called it a day for the less noble reason of being very cold and tired. There were therefore only four stalwarts who started the last race with Dan Jackson and Chris Mackay winning that one to take second place overall.

The highlights of the weekend were a couple of synchronised capsizing where it was found difficult to right a capsized Osprey with another one sat on top of the mast. Roger Blake deserves special mention for his forward somersault roll completely missing the centreboard and becoming a dive that might have won him an Olympic medal. Oscar Chess was found sporting an innovative two part mainsail with the lower part attached to the boom and the upper part attached to the mast but the two not attached to each other. A bit of gaffer tape should soon sort that. Andy Barker and Adam Ellory made the long journey from Cornwall with “Georgia” sporting a stunning and much admired gold paint scheme. We are particularly grateful to them for spending much of the weekend with Georgia upside down so we could all admire the perfection of the paint job.

Well done to Tata Steel SC for a well organised open meeting and we hope to return for more of the same next year.

Overall Results

Sailed: 5, Discards: 1, To count: 4, Entries: 12, Scoring system: Appendix A

1st	1336	Cariad Y Mor	2008	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	DJ Edwards		Alister Ramsden		Tata Steel Sailing Club	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	(DNC [13.0])	17.0	4.0
2nd	1276	Jennifer	1995	A Dobson & R Storrar	Wood Wood	MkIII	Dan Jackson		Chris MacKay		Tenby SC	(5.0)	2.0	2.0	3.0	1.0	13.0	8.0
3rd	1356	Shippy Mc-ship Face	2014	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Mark Weston		Simon Hawkes		West Riding SC	4.0	3.0	3.0	2.0	(DNC [13.0])	25.0	12.0
4th	1348	Jammy Dodger	2011	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Osacr Chess		Charlie Charles		Tata Steel SC	3.0	5.0	6.0	4.0	(RET [13.0])	31.0	18.0
5th	1369	Dark Matter	2017	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Roger Blake		James Blake		Great Moor SC	2.0	7.0	5.0	5.0	(RET [13.0])	32.0	19.0
6th	1373	Gnasher	2018	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Richard Marshall		Steve Watson		Poole YC	6.0	4.0	4.0	(RET [13.0])	DNC [13.0]	40.0	27.0
7th	1312	Bakers Dozen	2005	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Mike Murray		Pam Murray	F	Tata Steel SC	7.0	6.0	7.0	(DNC [13.0])	DNC [13.0]	46.0	33.0
8th	1114	Just Pogo	1976	WJ Morrison- Gardiner	Wood Wood	MkIII	Ros Downs	F	David Downs		Tata Steel SC	8.0	9.0	10.0	6.0	(DNC [13.0])	46.0	33.0
9th	1225	Return of the Pink Panther	1986	Home Built (A Hawksworth)	Wood Wood	MkIII	Carwyn		Paul Bambridge		Tata Steel Sailing Club	10.0	10.0	11.0	7.0	(DNC [13.0])	51.0	38.0
10th	1372	Mellow Yellow	2018	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkV	Mick Greenland		Martin Roots		Isle of Sheppey SC	9.0	8.0	9.0	(RET [13.0])	DNC [13.0]	52.0	39.0
11th	1299	Georgia	2003	Andy Barker	Wood Wood	MkIII	Andy Barker		Adam Ellery		Mounts Bay Sailing Club	(RET [13.0])	RET [13.0]	8.0	RET [13.0]	RET [13.0]	60.0	47.0
12th	1316	Uzi Jane	2006	Hartley Laminates	GRP GRP	MkIV	Nigel Young		Darren Hamilton		Bristol Corinthian YC	(RET [13.0])	RET [13.0]	RET [13.0]	RET [13.0]	DNC [13.0]	65.0	52.0