Report by: Tim Le Mare

We joined up with the Sprint 15's at Draycote Water (their Open had been abandoned due to snow and ice) for our Winter championships. 14 turned up on the day, one - Steve Swain - sadly too late due to a flat tyre on the way, leaving 13 'Novas and 16 Sprint 15's to sail.

We came to Draycote on a grey day on a cold morning in late January. A promising wind of 2/3 blew from the North West towards the large club house but this unfortunately didn't last and we sailed in light Northerly winds. Whilst it gave us a gentle easing-in at the start of the season it was a little frustrating. The previous day Mark Hartley had popped down from "up North" to test the waters and found 2 locals to play with, this was to reacquaint himself with the Supernova and to try out one of the new sails in readiness for the revamped deck.

With a slight delay to the rather ambitious 10.30 start, our PRO Richard Le Mare got the 15's away with us following 5 mins later. He had set a trapezoid course using nearly all the lake, making for much more of a tacticians race. A clean start and Mike Gibson found the Northerly funnel to lead round the top mark by a couple of lengths and really was never seriously threatened until he caught up with the 15's. This is a feature of Draycote; when the wind is in the North there is a tall triangle of wind leading across the lake, this time right towards the windward mark. With winds sub 10 knots the 15's struggled to stay in front of the 'Novas which excel in these conditions. Right on the finish line Mike got snarled up with some 15's which gave Cliff Milliner the chance to slip past and, living up to his nickname of "lucky", Richard Pakes to pass them both with a flourish of speed to finish first.

The PRO had shortened course to 2 laps to get in 2 races in the morning back-to-back leaving time to get lunch before the third race for the 'Novas in the afternoon.

Race 2. Richard Pakes, last years Travellers champion, led with an impressive performance from start to finish but this time, and despite the best endeavours of the race officer to keep us clear, the front of our fleet passed all but a couple of 15's making an interesting melee round the marks with the Sprints needing wide sweeps and the much more nimble 'Novas nipping in and round with ease. The finish in race 2 found 15's and 'Novas crossing the line with thankfully no repeat of race 1's place changes. Cliff Milliner, last years Winter champion, 2nd at the windward mark held on and finished second. Mike Gibson, our Inlands champion was third from start to finish. Paul Undrell holding fourth until the last few feet when Paul Earnshaw just pipped him on the line with their 2 hooters going off like a mistake, tuh duh!

Race3. The 15's only did 2 races which left nearly all of Draycote Water to us alone. Again the course took us right across the lake and anyone who had seen the wind shifting to favour the port side got clean away. Richard stayed ashore to help set up the prize giving, Paul Earnshaw and Mark Ellard were the 2 sharp-eyed leaders and Paul hung grimly on to his lead with and impressive show of speed in a wind that held little puff giving him third place from Mike, such a close run thing. Mark Ellingham having been overtaken by Cliff on the first run but defending valiantly to finish just in front of Tim Le Mare (the only Veteran there) for a well deserved 7th and a 9th overall. The fleet had spread out over half the course with only the run seeing all the competitors on the same leg. And to cap it all, Mark Hartley, last years National champion, at long last getting to grips with the new sail hit the last mark and whilst he did his turns 4 boats slipped pass him! Mike Hall had made an impressive start right on the lay line squeezing out several boats trying to duck round the committee boat giving him a good start which was helped by a puff just before the windward mark to be in 5th place. Sadly the reaches and runs favour lesser mortals and he was 9th by the finish.

The results were:
Winter Champion, Richard Pakes
Cliff Milliner, second; Paul Earnshaw, third and Mike Gibson fourth.
Silver fleet: Paul Undrell, first and Laurie Walker, second.
Master : Paul Earnshaw
Veteran: Tim Le Mare

Full results here.