Pico Challenge 2008
Report thanks to Mick Kneale
The annual Pico Challenge, sponsored by the Royal National Mission to Deep Sea Fishermen took place at Port St Mary on Sunday 7th September- a day late because of atrocious weather on Saturday. The weekend weather since Easter has been rather unkind to sailing, causing postponements and then either too much or too little wind, more often than not. This time, the 24-hour delay worked out just fine.
IOM dinghy champions Russell and June Collister again organised and ran the event, now in its fourth year. The Pico Challenge is a match-racing event sailed over two very short courses using the IOMYC’s Laser Pico training boats in the form of a knock-out competition.
Twenty people entered including last year’s winners Stu Brew and Ben Swindlehurst, who by the semi-final stage had both been knocked out. The finals were contested by Tom Howitt and Jack Lakeman on course A and Ali Hinds and James Walker on course B.
The race area was set in Chapel Bay where the offshore breeze was gusty and shifty. Most juniors (and some seniors) were given plenty of capsize practice.
In the junior section the winner was Jack Lakeman and although she’s still a junior by age, Ali Hinds won the seniors. Commodore David Hill presented the trophies on behalf of the RNMDSF and Ali thanked everyone who had helped smoothly run the challenge.