Fresh Conditions at 2010 IOM Dinghy Champs
Report by Donald Edwards
The Manx Sailing & Cruising Club were the hosts for this event this year held on the Bank Holiday weekend in Ramsey Bay. There was a very good turn out for the event this year with 16 boats arriving at the start line for the first Race after a postponement of fifteen minutes to allow a squall to pass through the race area. A windward leeward course was set in the force 5 conditions and the fleet got away to a good beat to the windward mark, off the Mooragh promenade shore. Unfortunately, one of the junior Tera dinghies suffered a broken mast just after the start and had to return to the shore for a replacement. The run back offshore saw a few capsizes in the windy conditions but Mick Kneale and the crew
Phil Hardisty and Donald Edwards of their National 18 were just ahead of fellow IOM yacht club member Antony Ellis and crew Michael Wilson and Nigel Collins, also in an N18.
However the RS200’s of Russell and June Collister and Gus Jolly with crew member Conor Christian were hot on their heals, with Mike Pridham following up next in his Laser Radial. Issy Sharpe was leading the three remaining Tera class juniors.
The fleet managed to complete 4 laps with Mick Kneale managing to beat Russell Collister on corrected time and Gus Jolly taking third. The Junior division was won by the current Tera World champion James Kelly with Issy Sharpe second.
The second race was started fairly quickly due to the weather conditions and two laps were completed when the Race Officer, Neil Boyes called a halt due to another squall passing through and capsizing nearly half the fleet. These conditions suited the smaller rigs of the RS200s and Russell Collister just beat Gus Jolly with the two N18s of Kneale and Ellis following with Andrew Dean, crewed by his daughter Katie in another RS200 coming fifth and Hanson’s Laser 2000 sixth.
After the wind had calmed down to a lighter force 5 the fleet got away to another race and the windward leeward course proved a prudent option again. The two N18s had an excellent race at the front considering the conditions but unfortunately Anthony Ellis suffered a major capsize just before the penultimate mark leaving Mick Kneale to take line honours. This was not enough though against the RS200s who took the first two places on corrected time even though Jolly had a spectacular capsize whilst on a hairy plane in a viscous gust.
The next morning dawned with the forecasted Force 6 gusting 7 winds coming parallel to the coast from the North. There were gusts of 38 knots recorded at the end of the iron pier. Racing was postponed for an hour and a half before being abandoned altogether.
Full results are below and there is a fine selection of photos from MSR photographer Dave Kneale on the gallery here
