THE weather for Manx Sailing and Cruising Club’s Injebreck Racing had a spring-like feel up at Baldwin Reservoir on Sunday, as opposed to the south of England which was definitely gripped by a Siberian wintry blast.
The wind, on the light side with a bit of west in it, was patchy and interspersed with vicious calms so racing even on the short course set by the OOD was never going to be fast. Racing in these conditions on the reservoir always seems to throw up interesting and well-deserved results.
In race one the fleet of 14 seemed to stay close together with Simon Pressly (Laser) managing to get to the front and finishing nearly a minute ahead of Andrew Dean and Lucy (RS 200).
With two laps of half of the lake taking some 40 minutes, it was Jim Whitelegg in the mighty Gull dinghy that won (his first this winter) on corrected time followed by Pressly in second and Angus Jolly (Laser) in third.
Race two was set on an even shorter course. Jolly, Mike Pridham (Laser), Brian Quayle (OK) and Pressly, starting on the mid-lake end of the start line, made a break for it managing as a group to finish nearly 10 minutes ahead of the rest of the fleet. On corrected time Quayle got his first win of the winter, with Pridham second, Jolly third and Whitelgg only five seconds behind in fourth.
Hats off to Paul Melling and his Ard Whallian Venture Centre crew who sail all week on the reservoir and then come to race on Sunday mornings for fun, it must be the altitude!
Many thanks to OOD and safty boat crews and Ard Whallian for their hospitality after the racing.
Results, Race One: 1, Jim Whitelegg; 2, Simon Pressly; 3, Angus Jolly; 4, Mike Pridham; 5, Andrew/David Williams; 6, Andrew Dean/Lucy; 7, Ralph Kee; 8, Brian Quayle; 9, Jerry Colman/James Penn; 10, Rob Cowell/Phil Hardisty; 11,Jason Hyett; 12, Michael Moore; 13, Owen Williams; 14, Paul Melling and crew. Race Two: 1, Brian Quayle 2, Mike Pridham; 3, Angus Jolly; 4, Jim Whitelegg; 5, Simon Pressly; 6, Michael Moore; 7, Rob Cowell/Phill Hardisty; 8, Andew Dean/Lucy; 9, Ralph Kee; 10, Jason Hyett; 11, Jerry Colman/James Penn; 12, Owen Williams.