News

Race Results Under 16ft trophy/Novice Trophy - 08/10/2011 & Mersey Basin & RLNI Regatta race - 09/10/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 11:49:00 +0000

Race Results FFSC Under 16ft trophy Date: 08/10/2011…………

Location: Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st Simba GP14 Helm Ian Scouler

2^nd Overdraught GP14 Helm Nick Lowe

3^rd X Topper Helm Eden Wall

Race 1 Commenced with the wind increasing to force 3 making the racing very challenging for the under 16ft fleet over the short course circuit, making the race quick and those who made the fewest mistakes the winner. The Laser of Kim Devereux made a great start with the Topper of Eden Wall close bye as they rounded the first mark together. But from that point onwards the Laser was seldom put under any pressure from the rest of the fleet and went on to easily win the first leg of the trophy. The two GP14s made good ground over the water and spent most of the race battling each other for the second spot over the line which was taken by Ian Scouler in Simba gaining some 1min & 5 seconds over third boat Overdraught with Nick Lowe at the helm.

Race 2 started with the withdrawal of Kim Devereux who found a problem with her boat and could not continue, leaving the Gps favourites to take the title. Simba went into an early lead, which look like it was going to be an easy win for Ian Scouler and crew Jade Flynn. Bur Nick Lowe had other ideas and pulled out on of the best performances of the season, clawing back the lead after the third lap and taking the lead with just two marks to go. GP14 Overdraught won the race by a good 100 meters for Simba but unfortunately not enough when the two race times were added together missing out on the 2011 title by 3 seconds.

Third place was taken by youngster Eden Wall who used the Topper after her brother failed to turn up with their PICO dinghy so this really made for an outstanding performance on a make shift boat.

The good news for Eden was she took 3^rd place overall in the trophy race when the results were combined giving the young sailor a day to remember.

Overall the experience of Ian Scouler in the GP won the day and the trophy, but what would have been the result if the Laser of Kim Devereux had not been withdrawn, who knows but next years under 16ft will be interesting

The conditions on the day were great after a poor forecast, the racing was excellent and the turnout better than expected for a Saturday event, our thanks to the safety crews and officer of the day for setting some great courses.

Race Results FFSC Novice Trophy Date: 08/10/2011…………

Location: Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st X Topper12184 Helm Eden Wall

2^nd Simba GP14 Helm Jade Flynn

3^rd Overdraught GP 14 Helm Nick Lowe

This competition is aimed at the new sailor or junior who have never won a race, and today’s field consisted of 6 boats, The race started at 10am with two short courses set, although the weather was not fair there was just enough wind to get the race away.

The first race was dominated by 11 year old Jade Flynn supported by top club sailor Ian Scouler as her crew; as they made an excellent start followed by the GP of Nick Lowe and 7 year old Colin Flynn. At the first mark Jade was well clear of the field a position which would not change as she crossed the winning line to take her first ever win in competition. The 5 boats behind soon made up for the poor start and a good battle commenced as they fought to get the inside line round the mark. Kim Devereux in her Laser “Back Off” made up ground followed by the Topper of Eden Wall aged 14. With the wind strengthening the race speeds increased as the race went on and the final positions over the line saw the Topper with its better handicap move in to the top 3 behind race winner Jade Flynn.

Race 2 started better than race 1 with all sailors keen to get good starts, and Kin Devereux made a very quick start and took the lead which she held throughout the race, but had to work hard from early challenges from Jade Flynn and then Nick Lowe with 2^nd and 3^rd placed changing with each lap. Eden Wall in the Topper made steady progress and stayed in touch with all the boats but did not have the speed to overtake the front three who failed to recognise that the Topper had the advantage of a great handicap.

Race two was won by Kim Devereux who even though she capsized at the last mark, recovered well enough to take the race by a big margin. Her capsize did reduce that lead enough to lose her 3 places overall as the race totals were combined to sort out the Novice Champion for 2011.

Eden Wall with the Topper had just done enough to win the competition outright, but all of the competitors sailed very well and far above the novice status accorded them. A special mention for Matt Scouler & Ben in there new boat, who did well in their first competitive race together as helm and crew, before a fault developed on the Jib which forced them to retire early.

With the top two junior girls taking 1^st & 2^nd “This was a brilliant effort, considering they only started sailing this season”, stated their coach Ken Southall. Bodes well for the future

Race Results Mersey Basin & RLNI Regatta race Date: 08/10/2011…………

Location: Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st Tomohawk Falcon Helm Tony Tomlinson

2^nd Redfoot Falcon Helm Ian Scouler

3^rd Nighthawk Falcon Helm Adrian Dodd

Today’s race was set against a severe weather forecast which indicated strong to gale force winds as the day progressed, which in the end was correct and for some boats a really challenging day and plenty of capsizing.

14 Boats trawled the line at the start with all boats tasked to make the No1 Buoy Tomlinson Turn 1 mile up river before turning for No 6 mark at Gate worth. All the boats made clean starts and the early lead was taken by Falcon 44 Tomohawk followed by the Albacore of Dave Irvine both rounding together, any one of 6 boats following was fighting for third spot as they rounded number one. Already a big gap had appeared and the fleet had been divided with the smaller craft struggling as the wind and gusts increased.

At the half way mark Falcon 44 had secured a good lead over Falcon 42 & 35 putting the Albacore into a very unsecure 4^th place as the GP 14 of Ernie Griffiths closed the gap down to 3 boats lengths. With 3 withdrawal’s and 3 capsizes the safety crews were very busy giving assistance or towing dinghies back to the clubs slipway.

The race was very classical in nature, with boats healed over travelling very fast riding the wind for all it was worth.al Falcon 44 with Tony Tomlinson at the helm took full advantage of this. The battle between Red Foot 42 and Night Hawk 35 was nip and took before the weight advantage of the heavier crew of Redfoot came in to play as the wind speeds increased.

Finally Tomohawk crossed the line to record their 9th win of the season some 3 minutes clear of second boat Redfoot 42 who finished 2 minutes clear of NightHawk 35. These 3 boats have performed really well all season so it came as no surprize that they took the podium positions. Fourth and fifth spot was determined by a capsize on the last lap by Dave Irvine in the Albacore giving the GP 14 the time and space to clear the flounder boat, but the Albacore recovered quickly but could not catch the GP14 who took the fourth spot.

Alan Dodd junior laser champion changed boats today to try a Solo Dinghy and finished in 6^th place a creditable performance for a light boat in difficult conditions. Our hero of the day was Steve Wall in his 420 Dinghy who finished the course some 45 minutes after the winning boat crossed the line. 7 boats retired from the race, this was the first running of the RLNI Regatta/ Mersey Basin Trophy and one would think the Lifeboat Service would have been at home in these changing conditions?

Hot refreshments were welcomed by all the participants and the hard working safety boat crews, thanks to Emma Flynn.

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: The Burthem Trophy Date: 25/09/2011…………

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 22:12:00 +0000

Race Results: The Burthem Trophy Date: 25/09/2011…………

Location: Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st Tommo hawk Falcon 44 Helm Tony Tomlinson

2^nd Night hawk Falcon 35 Helm Adrian Dodd

3^rd Redfoot Falcon 42 Helm Ian Scouler

Light southerly winds greeted the competitors at the start of the autumn season’s series of races at FFSC. 15 boats turned out for this early start at 10.30am with two safety boats in attendance. The light winds reduced leaving all of the fleet drifting backwards against the incoming tide and it was nearly 25 minutes before the first boat crossed the start line with some boats were unable to cross the start line for nearly an hour until strong winds filled in again allowing the boats to make headway.

Falcon 44 Tommo hawk made the break and slowly made for the first mark with only two other boats in pursuit Night Hawk 35 & Redfoot 42 whilst the others in the fleet made really slow progress.

With the increased wind speed all boats crossed the start line but for some the effort was too much and the task of closing the gap on the lead boats too great. 3 boats retired and a further 3 with gear failure reduced the fleet to less than half. Ernie Griffiths in his Laser Radial caught the 2^nd & 3rd placed boats and was looking very dangerous until damaging a rudder which forced him to retire two marks from home. For the first time in the race boats 1^st 2^nd & 3^rd were in sight of each other, but 2^nd & 3^rd could not make any impact on his lead.

With just 7 boats left in the race, it became an endurance race after 2 hours of race sailing and for some another hour of sailing to undertake before they reached the finishing line. No one could match Tommo Hawk 44 finishing in 2 hrs. and 10 minutes to take the trophy, with the second boat Night Hawk 35 finishing in 2hr 40 min followed by third boat Redfoot 42 in 2hrs 44mins.

Fourth boat home was Falcon 21 Condor who completed the course in 2hrs 59mins, a remarkable performance after a poor start.

The remaining fleet to their credit continued to race with novices Colin & Emma Flynn crossing the line in 5^th place in there Kestrel dinghy only to be placed 6^th when the GP 14 of brothers Steve & Richard Whitehead gained that spot on the handicap ruling. The hero of the day was Steve Wall and crew who finished the race in 3hrs and 27 minutes, and then went out again for a sail round???

Certainly this was not the best race of the season but certainly the most frustrating, with winds coming and going at the wrong time. Thanks to the safety boats teams for their support remembering they had been on the water over 4 hours, so the hot soup and mugs of tea were most welcome after the race.

The turnout for this race was excellent with such an early start, so a big thank you for all those who made the effort

The next races are on Saturday 8^th & Sunday 9^th October for the RLNI /Mersey Basin Regatta

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: September Cup Date: 11/09/2011…………

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 07:21:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry sailing Club

1^st Tommohawk Falcon 44 Helm Tony Tomlinson

2^nd Redfoot Falcon 42 Helm Ian Scouler

3^rd Cara Cara Falcon 45 Helm Ernie Griffiths

Strong to gale force southerly winds greeted the competitors of this special race in the FFSC calendar, although few boat were expected to take part in this event, 15 boats turned out the brave these conditions. From the start at 12 noon and using one of FFSC longest courses (10 miles) and heading up against strong incoming tide, there are easier ways of spending a Sunday afternoon.

Some boats were in trouble straight way as none of the fleet could make any headway, which led to a great deal of frustration and close calls as boats tacked for best position. First to make ground was Alan Dodd in his Laser, mastering the conditions to good affect but his day was to end halfway round the course with a broken mast and early retirement. Tomlinson in Falcon 44 Tommohawk and Redfoot 42

Managed to break the grip of the strong tide, whilst others struggled. After 30 minutes most of the fleet had managed to cross the start line. The Commodore in his Albacore dinghy capsized approaching the start and like many other was forced to retire but also broke his mast. From the 15 boats that started the race, by the first mark only 9 were still sailing, that field was spread far and wide giving the safety boat teams some concerns. By the halfway stage the fleet had reduced itself to 7 boats with Alan Dodd still leading and Falcons 44 & 42 in hot pursuit, whilst the other remaining boats in the fleet were still making steady headway as the race entered its final stages.

Coming back from Warrington and past the club house for the second time the Laser was finding it increasingly difficult to cope with the increasing wind and retired, leaving 44 & 42 to battle it out for the line. With the final 3 stages of the race now in progress and only 5 boats now left in the race which was now over 2 hours old, all had to contend with severe wind over tide conditions as the tide started to ebb.

The final two marks saw Falcons 44 & 42 in close combat with less than a boat length between them, sailing at full speed the crews of the boats needing every bit of energy to hold the boats down as they approached the finishing line. Finally Tony Tomlinson in 44 managed to beat Ian Scouler in Redfoot 42 by half a boat length. In third place was Falcon 45 Cara Cara, 11 minutes the leaders with final two Falcon dinghies 14 & 33 finishing 25 minutes behind the winning boat.

The conditions were very difficult and demanding and hopefully they will serve to assist the FFSC Falcon fleet as they prepare to enter the Falcon National Championships on the 17& 18^th September on the River Dee. Thanks to the safety boat crews, refreshments and the video skills of Chris Forster as we reviewed the race in the club house.

Thanks also to Tom & Mal Roberts who presented the their trophy and undertook the Officer of the day Duties

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: Hallway Trophy Date 14/08/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:49:00 +0000

^1st Boat: Tomahawk 44 Type: Falcon Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type Falcon Skipper: Adrian Dodd

3^rd Boat: Millennium 33 Type: Falcon Skipper: Colin Howard

Light airs and sunshine for the 11 boats who entered this race,The course selected by OD Ken Southall was a short course in front of the club house. From the start the early leaders Nighthawk 35 and Tommo hawk 44 made great progress, followed by Redfoot 42, down to the first mark at number 2, before a quick leg past the power station pump house then onto Richmond Bank turn no 6.

As the tide was still flooding in, it was difficult to make any headway against the tide which allowed other boats in the fleet to catch up valuable ground and soon all boats were held at this spot before the tide slackened and headway could be made.

The leaders made headway but third boat Redfoot lost its rudder which saw some of its crew searching the river bank in the hope of finding it, after losing ground they managed to locate it, refit it and back in the race.

Millennium 33 replaced Redfoot 42 in third place. As the fleet turned for the final home run, Tommohawk 44 had stolen the lead from Night hawk 35 and went on to win the race by a narrow margin.

The battle behind between Redfoot and Millennium saw both boats changing places before Redfoot ran aground allowing Millennium to get away and take third place with Redfoot only managing 5^th.

With short course racing the boat making the fewer mistakes usually takes the win and this case that proved to be the case. Well Done Tony Tomlinson and Crew Emma Flynn, John Rigby

Thanks to the safety boat crews of Hannah & Alex Rigby, Dave & Sally Thompson. Ed & Craig

Officer of the day Ken Southall & Refreshments Sue Warwick

Visitors are always welcome.

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Under 16ft Dinghy Championship & Women’s Championship 31/07/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 10:11:00 +0000

Overall position U16ft Dinghy Championship

^1st Boat: Flash Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Nessie Type Laser Skipper: Alan Dodd

3^rd Boat: Crackin Cheese Type: Wayfarer Skipper: Tom Roberts

Overall position of the Women’s Championship

^1st Boat: Flash Type: Laser Skipper: Alex Rigby

²^nd Boat: Nessie Type Enterprise Skipper: Claire Dodd

3^rd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type: Falcon Skipper: Sue Gamble

With the biggest turn out of boats this season Officer of the day Ken Southall had to get 21 boats onthewater ready for the start of this dual races of the Women’s Championship and the Under 16ft Dinghy Championship. The start was delayed for over 5 minutes giving all the participants the opportunity to launch on time.

For the Under 16ft Dinghy Championship 14 boats set off in this event with a strong input from the Laser sailors, it was soon clear that these dinghies would prove to be strong contenders if they could master the tricky conditions which is something that Reece Tomlinson & Alan Dodd proved to the rest of the fleet as they gave lessons in boat handling.

After the first mark none of the other Under 16ft dinghies could not make any impact on their progress. After an hour of racing the Lasers were on the finishing stretch with Alan Dodd being just a few feet away from Reece Tomlinson as they crossed the line, some might say, formation or synchronised sailing.

As for the rest of the fleet in their GP14s & Wayfarers, Tom & Marilyn Robert previous winner of this trophy had to settle for third place in their Wayfarer Crackin Cheese just head of GP 14 GEE PEE helmed by Ian Scouler & Jade Flynn. Other notable performance came from Brother Simon & Nick Lowe in their GP14 Overdraught who finished a creditable 6^th, 5 boats retired from this race due to conditions, which gave the safety boat teams a lot of ground to cover and assistance to the dinghy fleet.

The day was enjoyable and produced some excellent personal performance from Reece and Alan.

The biggest event of the season so far produce the biggest turn out of boats, and with so many boat not sailing today as they prepare for the Menai Straits Regatta just as well they didn’t all turn out or resources would be stretched. Thanks to Safety Teams and the Officers of the day Ken Southall & Club Commodore Dave Rigby, Support team of Craig Hinkin, Sue Worswick.

7 boats competed in this race for the FFSC Women’s Championship 2011 with previous winner Claire Dodd & Alex Rigby being favourites to take the title again. But this year it would prove to be a little more difficult with a larger field of competitors.

The 4 mile course soon started to impact on the strength and stamina of the competitors with a couple of boat retiring after the second mark on the course as the wind speed increased. Claire Dodd took an early from Alex Rigby on her Laser followed by Sue Gamble on Falcon Night Hawk 35. By the halfway mark the this situation had not changed but as the tide started to Ebb the race was to become faster and more challenging as a result of wind over tide making the river very lumpy.

As the women’s fleet headed for the final turn a mile from home, a good lead had been established by Alex Rigby over Claire Dodd, which was to be the final position. With 2 retirements the fleet was reduced further, allowing juniors Eden Wall & Caitlan Whitehead to take the fourth spot behind Sue Gamble a creditable performance from two of the youngest competitors in the fleet. Overall the conditions did prove to be a challenge but provided some useful experience to those who have never sailed in a major competition.

Winner Alex Rigby recognised that the depth of women sailing at FFSC is growing annually and competition for this trophy is improving each year, which will require everyone to train hard if they to win it.

The race proved to be very challenging and capsize drill was for some the order of the day, with good safety cover on duty, everyone had a great time.

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

Race Results: Eric Page Trophy Date: 17/07/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 08:48:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington.

Overall position after 1 Race

^1st Boat: 153632 Type: Laser Skipper: Alan Dodd

²^nd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type Falcon Skipper: Adrian Dodd

3^rd Boat: Stonehawk 65 Type: Solo Skipper: Geoff Platt

The weather forecast gave out some really poor weather, heavy rain and gale force winds and they weren’t wrong, unfortunately.

A large field of boats set out racing in front of the clubhouse against the incoming tide, even before the start most boats were unable to stem that tide and were taken up river away from the start line. 2 boats made good starts Alan Dodd on his Laser and Millennium Falcon 33 in his pursuit to the No2 mark and the first turn. Soon other boats made the break up to 2 and by the half way point in the race only 4 boats figured strongly. Alan Dodd had made gained an impressive lead over the chasing pack, in conditions that did favour the larger Falcon fleet

In these conditions, but birthday boy Alan 16 today made it look quite easy. Millennium 33 was being chased by Nighthawk 35 & Stone Hawk 65 as they turned at Sankey Brook mark No 7. Millennium was still holding off the other Falcons with a slender lead but now the racing became harder as the driving was in the crew’s faces. As the boats passed the clubhouse on their way to the final turning mark at No 1

Nighthawk had just got in front of Millennium who in turn was being challenged by Stone hawk, a battle for the line commenced with less than 60 yards separating the pursuing Falcons. As the falcons turned the final mark the buzzer was announcing a brilliant win for birthday boy Alan winning by over half a mile from the chasing pack.

Night hawk 35 led the charge for the line being followed by Millennium 33 & Stone Hawk 35 as they closed quickly on nighthawk. With only yards separating the finishing boats Night Hawk 35 took second place behind son Alan and Millennium 33 crossed the line third only to be given fourth place on handicap to Stone hawk 65. It was along time before the rest of the field trickled back over the finishing line

Some of the smaller class boat struggled with the condition which gave the 2 safety boats a lot to do. But over all the condition were challenging but did provide some exciting sailing as the clubs warms up for sailing at the Menai Straits Regatta in two weeks.

Officers of the day was Bob & Pat Backhouse who managed the racing and scoring well and all the safety boat team of Ed, Craig, Tom & Chris, and piping hot soup being laid on by our social sec Sue Worswick.

Today was a great birthday present for one of FFSC up and coming young sailors, Alan performed well and as a result took the line honours well done and happy birthday from the members of FFSC

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

…………………………

Race Results: Hill Foot Trophy : 19/06/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 21:38:00 +0000

^1st Boat: Tommohawk 44 Type: Falcon Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type Falcon Skipper: Adrian Dodd

3^rd Boat: Harris Hawk 65 Type: Falcon Skipper: Ian Reading

Strong wind conditions made for an exciting start on this fathers day race, the large field for this race often found it difficult to stay upright as the wind shift were quite severe. Tommo hawk 44 followed by Night Hawk 35 & Millennium 33 made excellent starts leaving the rest of the field well behind as they rounded the first mark to head for Warrington. By the Gateworth mark No 6, Tommo hawk still held the lead from Nighthawk in turn still being tracked by Millennium & Redfoot 42.

Millennium 33 collided with mark No 6 and effectively ended it challenge in the race.

The wind conditions increased with a few sailors taking an early bath without the aid of red cards, but the sailing proved a great spectical for the large crowds out for their Sunday strolls on the river front.

By the halfway mark of the seven mile race Tommo hawk had made great progress and had established a good lead over the next 3 boats all Falcons who were able to handle the strong conditions better than most classes taking part.

As the race moved forward to its conclusion the lead that Tommo hawk had built was being eroded by Night hawk and Harris hawk and has all three boats came to the finish line Tommo Hawk took the honours by just 9 seconds from Night hawk who with Adrian Dodd at the helm produce his best performance of the season. As Tommo hawk crossed the line Helmsman Tony Tomlinson to the surprise of his crew and in celebration ran along the deck and dived into the river, very brave with 2 boats coming in to cross the line.

In Olympic terms he would have scored at least a 9 for his diving, whilst others where still trying to avoid getting wet but failing badly so, if you managed to stay dry that was some form of success

The safety boats had a busy afternoon and as the day concluded only one boat sustained slight damage. Our thanks to the safety boat crews, Dave, Sally, Ed & Craig. Our thanks also to the Officers of the day team of, Pat, Dave & Rob and for the after race refreshments to Sue W.

Next week it’s the turn of Fidlers Ferry Junior Team who race in the Southport 12 hr Race, this year being supported by Mersey Rail

Visitors are always welcome.

Yours faithfully

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

…………………………

Race Results: Meacock Trophy Date: 15/05/2011…………

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 16 May 2011 01:59:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington....

^1st Boat: 186534 Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Tommohawk 44 Type Falcon Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

3^rd Boat: Flash Type: Laser Skipper: Alex Rigby

The weather did not live up to the forecast, but did provide a large fleet of dinghies with enough challenges to make for a very interesting race day. With 2 safety craft in attendance the expectation of a few dunking was real but in reality only one crew went for a swim.

The early start meant that some crews were half a sleep on the start line, claiming tow individual recalls as the boats headed for Sankey Brook mark “READINGS SHOUT No7” were it proved difficult to make against the incoming tide after rounding the mark for the return to FFSC. For 20 minutes crews fought to make ground in shifting winds, boats duelling to gain advantage, position and tacking rights on that narrow stretch of water, eventually the top three and race winner made the break for the next mark gaining 5 minutes over the rest of the fleet but then the chase was on as the fleet tried hard to make in roads to their lead. The next section gave different problems with sand banks and changing wind directions which forced some boat into gardening on the reed beds and others in negotiating other boats at the marks. As the race progressed into in final stages the fleet had broke into 3 section were skill and experience proved to be useful alias in make good head way in a now outgoing tide. Even the leaders found the going difficult but had secured enough lead to see them home safely some 3 minutes ahead of the main fleet.

Reece Tomlinson led the way in his Laser, followed by his father in Tommohawk 44 who struggled to catch the Laser who mastered the adverse conditions well. Tommohawk was challenged for the 2^nd position by the Laser of Alex Rigby, who sailed well, but could not get past the Falcon successfully to assist her high handicap. In the end she took a well earned third place, well ahead of the 4^th place Falcon Cara Car 45 and chasing pack.

Other outstanding performances from Simon Rowan in his tiny Sunfish dinghy gave him a creditable 5th place on handicap and Silver Fleet Falcons, Sparrow hawk 14 belonging to Steve Whitehead & Red kite 32, Nick & Simon Lowe finishing 8^th & 9^th

The race proved challenging, tiring but good fun, hot soup was the order of the day as the crews came ashore cold and wet for their refreshments. Best performance of the day came from Emma Flynn who was Officer of Day for the first time, managing the whole event on her own, excellent performance.

Thanks to all the safety boat crews for all their hard work and to Sue Worswick for the catering, a good day and challenging sailing.

Junior Sailing next weekend 21& 22 May at FFSC.

Visitors are always welcome.

Colin Howard, Sailing Sec

…………………………

Officers of the Day Emma Flynn

Race Results: Caldwell Cup Date: 17/04/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 10:17:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington.

Overall position after 2 Races

^1st Boat: 186534 Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Cara Cara Type Falcon Skipper: Ernie Griffiths

3^rd Boat: 2324 Type: Solo Skipper: Bob Backhouse

3^rd Boat: Tommohawk Type Falcon Skipper Tony Tomlinson

The sunshine & hot weather were super, sun cream and cold drinks the order of the day and trying to sail with no wind, total frustration. With big tides this week many of the FFSC offshore boats set sail for the summer season and over the last 2 days 9 boats have left the Mersey for all parts of Wales and Ireland, a really good job they have engines!

With a very large field of boats mostly from the smaller classes 2 Short Course where set, with the destination of Monks Bridge. Who could drift the fastest essentially was the race and even that was cut short as the tide turned against them on the opening race, only 2 boats mastered the conditions with Reece Tomlinson leading the field on his Laser from Ernie Griffiths in Falcon Cara Cara the only boats to reach the final Mark

Race 2 The fleet regrouped at Mark No 7 opposite Sankey Brook with all boats getting a reasonable start with all boats staying close together, but as the boats turned at the penultimate bend a slight breeze appeared and soon sails started to fill and then the race was on for the finish. This allowed the smaller boats to make use of their handicaps with the result young junior Caitlin Whitehead kept in touch with the main fleet to claim a much deserved fourth spot and veteran sailor Bob Backhouse in his Solo to claim 3^rd place and a 3^rd overall place for the two races. Simon Rowan in his Sunfish claimed 2^nd behind race and competition winner Reece Tomlinson. It seems that so far Reece in untouchable which means that all the rest have to bring up their game.

Good performances from Silver Fleet boats of Steve Whitehead & Nick Lowe in Sparrow hawk & Red kite respectively are making grounds on the main Falcon fleet sailors. The hardest worked crew to day were the safety boat teams who had there work cut out to keep the racing going and ensure safety standards were maintained.

After the race Social Sec Sue Worswick handed out Easter Eggs to FFSC juniors, a big thank you to the Officers of the day for all their hard work and the bar staff for all the cold drinks made ready for some very thirsty sailors.

Colin Howard

Sailing Sec

Officers of the Day today, Sue Worswick, Pat Backhouse & Emma Flynn

Race Results: Claire House regatta Day 2 Date: 03/04/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 01:15:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington.

Overall position after 2 Races

^1st Boat: 186534 Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

(Overall Regatta Winner) aged 17

²^nd Boat: Tommohawk 44 Type Falcon Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

3^rd Boat: Rsend 1948 Type: Albacore Skipper: Alex Rigby

The racing programme was designed for two races over our longest courses for today’s event; these longer courses would test the skill and stamina of all the participants and their boats.

A very strong field of 16 boats lined up on the start line for race 1 taking 12-30 pm cannon. A clean start was made by all boats as they headed for Warrington navigation around a number of markers along the way. This race was about tactics and not getting to the halfway mark before the tide had stopped running in. This proved to be a problem for half the fleet who arrived too early and were swept under the arches of Monks Hall bridge and through to Unilever works.

At this point the fleet separated into two fleets, those who made the right call and were heading for home and those who had to wait a further ten minutes before they could make headway and head for home.

The Laser of Reece Tomlinson yesterdays overall winner had built up a big lead over Harris Hawk 64 and Tommohawk 44 who had no chance of catching him unless he made a very big mistake, this was not to happen. Reece made the final mark heading for the line finish well clear of the field, which had all caught each other up after being held by the strong outgoing tide. As the tide eased the fleet made headway again with Tommohawk finish second and the Albacore of Alex Rigby claiming a well earned third place

The next race saw the Albacore take an early lead, a lead which they would not loose leading the fleet from start to finish over this 4 mile course. The fight for second position was to remain a secret until the very last minute with boats changing positions as they rounded a series of difficult marks and slacking winds, but finally Tommohawk coming from along way back finally got the better of Reece Tomlinson pushing him into third place with Stone hawk 65 close behind to take 4^th spot.

The final placing after 7 races and two days of competition saw Reece Tomlinson win the Claire House Regatta Trophy with Father Tony Tomlinson coming second and Alex Rigby third.

The event raised over £180 for Claire House Hospice, so a big thank you to Sally Thompson as race organiser for this event and all those that made this event possible, the safety boat teams and the officers of the day.

Colin Howard
Sailing Secretary

Race Results: Claire House regatta Day 1 Date: 02/04/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 22:31:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington.

Overall position after 5 Races

^1st Boat: 186534 Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Tommohawk 44 Type Falcon Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

3^rd Boat: Redfoot 42 Type: Falcon Skipper: Ian Scouler

This is the first full Claire House Regatta hosted by Fidlers Ferry the object was to fund raise for this most worthy project in its care as a hospice for children. 5 race were scheduled for day one, but there were doubts as to whether this would go a held with winds gusting to 30mph just before the start of the first race, but in the end the decision to go was given and the first was under way over a 2 mile course.

Reece Tomlinson quickly mastered the condition and showed many of the far more experienced sailors the way home; this was to be repeated in the next two races leaving a large field of boats to fight for the other two remaining places on the podium.

Short Course racing does not allow for mistakes, so those who can stay clear of trouble usually make the best headway. As the racing progressed the winds dropped to a steady 15mph making life a little easier for the boats and crews.

A large crowd at both the Sailing Club and the Ferry inn were entertained to some really good sailing as the day brightened up and the temperature raised.

By the start of Race four some crews changed but not the race order. On 5 races only the best 4 results count discarding a boats worst result so there was a lot to sail for. By race four the tide was on the ebb which makes the tactics for racing slightly different and for the first time in the afternoon the leading boat was relegated to following instead of leading as the fleet closed up and positions changing on a regular basis.

Tony Tomlinson Snr fought a fantastic dual with Ian Scouler in Redfoot 42 with 3 boats heading for the finishing line at full speed, but the honour went to Tony Tomlinsons, Tommohawk 44 by half a boat length from Redfoot 42.

The final Race of the day saw Alex Rigby put in a final challenge coming form no where on the final leg to gain third place in her Albacore RSEND 1948 but again Tommohawk 44 and Redfoot 42 made the ground from the start to reach the first mark ahead of the following fleet

And after 3 hours + sailing the finish line was a welcome sight

Day two on Sunday reverts to the tradition race model with two long distant races; more boats are expected for this event which so far has proven to be successful for raising funds for Claire House.

Thanks to Emma Flynn OD Craig Hinkin & Dave Thompson for safety boat cover and race organiser Sally Thompson;

Ready for Day 2 watch this space.

Colin Howard
Sailing Secretary

BIG BOATS RUSH TO CATCH BEST LAUNCHING WEATHER YET !!

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 14:17:00 +0000

Josephine Just being lowered into the lock, Pat her owner has no fingernails left as his was the first back in the water, At 4.8 tons Josephine was probably the lightest of the boats today. Pats cruising is going to be the south coast this year, weather permitting of course !!

SwingSong Going in at 8.9 tons her owners Phil and Anne are heading for sunnier climes this year, she is Biscay bound for the med. Lets hope n pray they have much better weather than they had last year.

Maria T Her owners Pete & Celine have been building up to this all year after a horrible 2010 season, locked in on the Isle of Man owing to the atrocious weather, prior to which she miraculously recovered from a near fatal grounding in Hollyhead harbour, after breaking her mooring in the worst storm to hit that area.

Chinook Coming in as slightly over the weight of Swinsong at close to 10 ton. Her owner Baz (Barry) has lovingly worked on refitting her for the med for the past 2 years, he's struggled through vandalism and weather, even the disappointment of measly sentence for the vandal didn't deter him. I don't know about you? but just the name 'Chinook' brings on feelings of tribalism and doesn't show the depths of luxury aboard this vessel.

Race Results: FIN LOMAX TROPHY Date: 20/03/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 08:59:00 +0000

Location: Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club, Warrington.

^1st Boat: 186534 Type: Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: Redfoot 42 Type Falcon Skipper: Ian Scoular

3^rd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type: Falcon Skipper: Adrian Dodd

The morning rain cleared and the wind increased just before the start of the 12 noon race. With the biggest tide of the year running in fast many of the fleet struggled to make any head way as the starting siren sounded. Early to break was the eventual race winner Reece Tomlinson in his Laser but it took a little while for the rest to make any impression against the river.

Soon all the fleet made head way to the first mark but by then 4 boats had made considerable gains over the fleet which proved later to be impossible to change. Tomlinson held a substantial lead but still need to extend that lead to ensure that the falcon fleet handicaps which is better than the laser was maintained.

Bye the halfway mark, Tomlinson had stretched his lead further, followed by Nighthawk 34, Redfoot 42, & Tommohawk 44, although some way back were having their own battles, whilst the rest of the fleet tried hard to catch them up.

By the final turn Tomlinson was well clear and heading for a comfortable victory whilst behind the 3 leading falcons were making their own misfortunes. Nighthawk 35 still led the chasing boats but being tracked closely by Redfoot 42 who eventually claiming second place due to Nighthawk being handicapped for sailing with 1 crew member short. Whilst Tony Tomlinson the father of race winner Reece Tomlinson managed a creditable 4^th spot and certainly he would receive some racing tips from his son. The rest of the fleet made a good impact with all the fleet finishing 6 minutes behind the race winner. The conditions on the day proved to be very challenging which made for some good racing.

Best Performance of the day went to Nick Lowe in Falcon 32 Redkite which has just been refurbished and making it first start at FFSC for 5 years and although not fully finished did well. Our thanks go to Safety boat crews Tom, Marilyn, Mike, & Rigsy for covering the Safety Boat duties on the water to the expected high standards. And also to Sue Worswick, Emma Flynn and Ken Southall for both the results work, officer of the day and refreshments.

Colin Howard, Sailing Secretary

Race Results: Presidents Tankard Date: 06/03/2011

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 23:17:00 +0000

^1st Boat: Tommohawk 44 Type: Falcon Skipper: Tony Tomlinson

²^nd Boat: 186534 Type Laser Skipper: Reece Tomlinson

3^rd Boat: Nighthawk 35 Type: Falcon Skipper: A Dodd

The new season started with a fair wind, bright sunshine but very cold for those standing and watching the racing. 10 boats contested the first race, run on a course set in front of the club.

At the start of the race all the boats fought for the best position on the start line, which resulted in 3 boats being over the start line as the start siren was sounded and then recalled. In fact it made little difference as the fleet tried hard the make any head way against the incoming tide but after 10 minutes some boats made the break, with early leader Ady Dodd in Nighthawk 35 taking the first mark clear of the Laser of Reece Tomlinson and Gyr 48 of Richard Thomas/ Steve Whitehead.

That situation was short lived as by the next mark the tide had eased and the wind increased and a new leader Tony Tomlinson in Tommohawk 44 headed the fleet with the positions of the rest of the boats changing positions with every gust.

The leader form that point was never seriously challenged, but the race for 2^nd and 3^rd heated up as Reece Tomlinson retook the 2^nd position from Nighthawk who had been battling hard with each other throughout the race and the final position for both boats at the end of the race.

With the handicap system in place the 2^nd position was gained by the narrowest of margins just 3 seconds after time adjustments. The previous year’s winner Ian Reading who had made a late challenge for a podium position but suffered gear failure and fell back through the field to finish in 4^th position.

A great start to the season and great sailing was had by all the competitors.

Best Performance of the day went to juniors Amy & Caitlin Whitehead who work very hard in their old GP 14 to keep up with the fleet in the main race on a day which challenged many of the more experienced sailors, completing the course just 7 minutes behind the winning boat.

Our thanks go to Safety boat crews Kim, Celine, Dave & Sally, who managed the Safety boats on the water to the expected high standards. And also to Sue Worswick, Emma Flynn and Ken Southall for both the results work and refreshments.

FFSC next race is on 20 March starting at 11.48am.

LIVERPOOL KINDRED CLUBS REGATTAS STILL ON

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 01:10:00 +0000

February 21, 2011

Thanks to the continued support from various Yacht Clubs, The Liverpool Kindred Clubs Regattas are still able to go ahead.

Now being run for one weekend only, 29th April to 2nd May 2011, it will be a fun filled, fantastic event. A full racing schedule for IRC Yachts and multihulls will be put online shortly with the updated NOR, SI and Entry Forms.

To enter as soon as possible, in order to avoid late fees, please contact:
Catherine Heartly for IRC boats: Regattas@royaldee.co.uk
James Miller for Multihull enquires: jjmillerwirral@aol.com

WOW!! LIVERPOOL BOAT SHOW CANCELLED !!

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 11:14:00 +0000

It's official, the LIVERPOOL BOAT SHOW IS CANCELLED, the BBC announced on their evening news at 18.00 last night. Where we go from here one can only guess. If you've already booked tickets and or moorings then you need to contact the organisers below. We will update you as soon as more info is available.

Wild Weather at Livepool 7/2/11

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:57:00 +0000

The wind at Liverpool was recorded as gusting SW 72knts this day.

First Contender for IFFY CREW TROPHY 6/2/11

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 23:42:00 +0000

Photo shows Richard bailing out following a rollover after returning to club under Spinnaker, Aidy incidently was on the rescue boat crew and replaced Reece who returned in the rescue boat. Wind gusting SW 40knts.

Site Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:06:00 +0000

We have updated the gallery and added a PDF file for this year's training dates.

New Commodore

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 16:02:00 +0000

Effective 30th January 2011 at the AGM, Pieter Botter stepped down as Commodore, handing over the role to former Vice-commodore Rigsy (Dave Rigby).

We wish Rigs (Dave) all the best in his new responsibility.

If you have any questions for him, email him on commodore@fidlersferrysailing.org.uk.

Rigsy (Dave's) wife Sue has taken over as Vice-commodore.

John Gregson is now the Rear Commodore, and Sue Botter hands back the role of Social Secretary to Sue Worswick.

Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 00:10:00 +0000

Some parts of the website are being moved to Google to make updating the site easier. A FeedBurner widget has been added to the site News page so that updates made here on the blog will appear there. Members who click on that will be able to add the Fidlers Ferry Sailing Club feed to their own feed readers on their blogs or Google accounts. This will alert them every time a post is made on the blog.

The PDF files are being uploaded to Google Docs to make them more accessible. PDF files usually require a PDF reader to be viewed, but in Google Docs, they are instantly available and no software is required. All related PDF files, such as the ones for Training, are linked on a single page there. This page can be more easily updated than the one on the site.

A links page has been added to the blog. Links to advertisers in our members booklet, other clubs and generally useful information will be put on this page.

Training Courses

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Our training courses notes have been updated. They are now linked on the Training page on the website and on the Services page on the blog.

Members Logs 2009+

noreply@blogger.com (Fidlers Ferry News) — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 14:37:00 +0000

Downloads are in Adobe PDF & DOC Format

The Commodore's Cruises

The President's Cruises

The Claire House Regattas

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England, Ireland and Scotland on a RIB!

Sailing the Horn