Scottish and Northerns Championship at Coniston SC

by Alec Mamwell on 26 Jun 2012 The Osprey Class returned to Coniston this year to hold their Scottish and Northern Championships as part of the club's three day Jubilee Regatta. Competitors came from Kent, Cornwall, Holland and Wales to join local boats and were met with a mixed bag of wind and weather. The fleet extended a warm welcome to newcomers Ros and David from Tata and Alan from Prestwich. Coniston Sailing Club provided the usual party atmosphere which competitors associate with this event.

The series involved seven races with five to count and the first two on the Saturday gave competitors a sharp reintroduction to Coniston with a Force 2-4 North Easterly and the odd gust a little heavier. The early front runners were Rob Shaw crewed by Ian Little, Viola and Mike Scott, Mike's Pickering and Priddle, Alec Mamwell and Jerry Dixon with Alan Henderson and Russell Gardner showing some good speed at times. Shaw and Little took the first race and the Pickering Priddle partnership second.

Paddy Lewis and David Slater, old hands at Coniston, and usually up at the front had serious cordage problems which necessitated scouring the chandleries of Windermere for replacements. The best part of the day for those boys was an ice cream waiting for the ferry whilst Paddy contemplated sacking his valet for not preparing the boat properly. Poor Paddy. Worse was still to come later that night. Accustomed to more palatial accommodation he had been squeezed into a small motor home and, given the low temperature, had decided to sleep in his one piece body warmer. Unfortunately whilst conducting his ablutions he managed to get a particularly important and sensitive part of a gentleman's anatomy caught in the zip. Nothing daunted and in some pain Paddy decided that, in the absence of his dresser, he would text his fashion guru, Mike Pickering, for further advice!

On the second day the weather provided a force 2-5 from the North. Overcast and bitterly cold conditions saw most teams digging out steamers and dry suits. The RO, Judy Leese, struggling calmly with some trying conditions and disparate fleets, set a series of long courses which allowed the Ospreys to stretch their wings. The fleet made a fine sight, they set their kites and planed down the lake towards Peel Island. Paddy, obviously recovered from his night time traumas, led all the way to the death when he let through the two Mikes and the Scotts. Pickering and Priddle also won the next race as they started to take control of the championships but their domination was threatened in
the last race of the day as the Scotts powered to an impressive victory.

So as the fleet packed up for the night and prepared to enjoy an evening's entertainment from ex- Osprey sailor and virtuoso guitarist Dave Metcalf, everything was still to play for. Although the two Mikes were in the driving seat the Scotts and Shaw / Little could still win. Fourth place was also still up for grabs with Mamwell and Dixon, after a poor day, fighting off growing challenges from Lewis / Slater and Henderson / Gardner.

Thankfully the next day brought sun and in the morning a Force 1-3 Northerly. The Scotts battled with the two Mikes all the way round another long course to secure a fine victory in trying conditions as the wind started to fade. An extended lunch gave time to let the competing wind system's sort out which would prevail but still left the RO with a difficult decision.

In the end the fleet set off in a drifter that never got much better. Mamwell and Dixon faced the unusual situation that the opposition had been bored into submission as neither Lewis / Slater nor Henderson / Gardner came out to play thus securing their fourth place overall before the last race started. Shaw and Little drifted faster than everyone else and took Ros and David Downs and the two Mikes with them whilst the rest of the fleet anchored and became entangled with the other two fleets. This result knocked the Scotts down to third but was not enough to wrest the championship from the two Mikes who proved popular and decisive winners of their first Osprey event. It also allowed the Downs to post a warning to the fleet of their potential with a solid second place that could easily have been their first race win.

As a footnote most of the boats competing were the splendid Hartley Mk 4s but wooden boats managed to secure second, fourth and fifth overall and still allow a competitive and low cost entry into the fleet. Overall although three boats were generally near the front the racing was tight all the way down the order and small mistakes cost places with every team enjoying at least one good result. It was a tired set of competitors who packed up for the long drive home or lingered to sample more Coniston SC hospitality and Doug's excellent beer whilst watching the lighting of the Beacon atop The Old Man, a spectacular conclusion to a splendid event.

Overall Results:

Pos Sail No Boat Name Helm Crew

1 1348 Lucky Mike Pickering Mike Priddle
2 1287 Excalibur Rob Shaw Ian Little
3 1314 Think Again Viola Scott Mike Scott
4 1276 Jennifer Alec Mamwell Jerry Dixon
5 1292 Light and Bitter Paul Heather Jonanthan Osgood
6 1337 BaaBaa Paddy Lewis Mad Dave Slater
7 1334 Wrong way round Alan Henderson Russ Gardiner
8 1350 Foul for Tea Dave the Duck Gavin
9 1349 Meet the… John Shelton Barney Rubble
10 1114 Just Pogo David Downs Ros Downs
11 1352 Just Launched Nick Jones Arthur Osprey Sailing website