Helensburgh club are sailing club

0 - 0 • Published 22 Feb 2007 16:22

HELENSBURGH Sailing Club's winter series is developing into a competition for light air experts as once again the wind hardly made it above five knots for races five and six.

The number of entrants for the series has grown and with over 20 boats on the water, ranging from Toppers to 49'ers, the starts are becoming 'interesting' for all concerned.

Chris Noble and Calum Reid, B14, made a great start in race five, but like all the lightweight skiffs, suffered in the lighter winds.

The host club's Laverty and Booth, in a 49'er, set a fast pace initially and led at the end of the first round but dropped back with tiredness.

Ali and Charles Milton sailed a safe race and took a comfortable win in their 505. Barrie McLean's Solo narrowly won second place from Bill Souden's Blaze with Alison Davies and Tobi Wilson fourth in a Laser 4000.

The next race saw the wind shift to the south and increase enough for the skiffs to get twin wiring, although it did make the beat a little sided.

Barrie McLean rarely put a foot wrong all afternoon and took his first place to give him the overall lead for the series.

He claims taking a belt sander to his wooden Solo has worked wonders for his light wind speed, but how will he fair in a breeze? Only time will tell.

Robin and Donald Wilkins, sailing an enterprise, were second and Alison Davies came third.

Overall series results: 1st Solo 3893 'Refresher' Barrie McLean (Loch Ard SC) nine points; 2nd Blaze 721 Bill Souden (HSC) nine points; 3rd 49'er 662 Craig Hepplewhite and Colin 'Sheepy' Greer (HSC) 11 points; 4th Enterprise 22108 'Wild Wood' Robin Wilkins and Donald Wilkins (Loch Vennacher SC) 12 points; 5th 505 8749 'Big Blue Boat' Ali Milton and Charles Milton (HSC) 12 points.

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This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 22 Feb 07

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