24/09/2016
Ripon open meeting Ripon Sailing Club

Eighteen Streakers assembled at Ripon Sailing Club on 24 September, with five visitors joining 13 local boats. The forecast was for a 18 or 19mph southerly wind with gusts of 30 plus, which may have influenced the decision of some whether to travel and take part or not.

In the morning race it seemed for the most part as if the forecast was not going to be accurate, with a wind that was rarely much above the mid-teens. But it was shifty, despite southerlies being a fairly reliable direction for RSC. After a general recall the fleet was away at the second attempt when the wind stabilised.

It's fair to say that beats were subject to a certain amount of randomness. You might get a lift if you went left or you might get one on the right, but next time you tried that you were just as likely to encounter a header or a hole. Local knowledge counted for little, other than on the early runs when visitors soon discovered that a dog leg to the down wind mark was quicker than the more direct route. Sadly, for the local sailors, the visitors soon sussed it out.

Alan Gillard (Sheffield Viking SC) won the first race with Steve Blackburn (West Lancs SC) making a late charge when the pack was shuffled on the closing lap to take 3rd behind Richard Brook (Ripon SC).

After lunch, despite a forecast for the wind strength to ease, it actually increased. Again the wind direction was uncooperative on the start line and up the first beat, with shifts and holes aplenty. A gust of 30mph plus in the closing stages was probably the culprit for more than one capsize in the lower orders of the fleet.

Again it was Alan Gillard who won, ahead of Steve Blackburn in 2nd and Ian Priest (Scaling Dam SC) 3rd.

With Alan Gillard counting two first places he didn't need to sail the final race, which was just as well! Part way through the race a roll gybe turned into a roll capsize. Due to water in his ears he probably failed to hear the commiserations of the chasers, along the lines of "oh that's unfortunate, Alan" and "oh dear what a shame" as he struggled to get upright before he was blown onto the pontoons.

The race, and an eventual podium position, was very, very closely contested between Ian Priest and Peter Robinson (Ripon SC) with Ian Priest taking lead on the final tack.