Mirror Midland Championships at Shustoke Sailing Club

Anna Mckenzie and Holly Scott win the Mirror Midland Championships © Jon Moore

Anna Mckenzie and Holly Scott (RoyalWinderemere/Shustoke) proved worthy winners of the Mirror Class Association Midlands Area Championship, held at Shustoke SC on Sept 10-11, with Alan Bennett of Staunton Harold SC taking the singlehanded prize.

41 Boats from as far afield as Penzance, Bassenthwaite & Brightlingsea, raced in mixed conditions from drifting to a brisk force 3, punctuated by heavy rain. The race team led by Robin Webb set consistently good courses and were only surpassed by the clubs hospitality, which included free food!

Race 1 was initially led by father & son team Ian & Matt Escritt, who were eventually overhauled by Anna Mckenzie & Holly Scott. In the singlehanded race Alan Bennet secured an early lead to take the gun, chased closely by Chris Bigley, and Pat Hufton from the home club. Race 2 for the doublehanded was dominated by Inge Lisa Hansen & Hanna Mitchell, who after a flying start, convincingly led to finish line. In the singlehanders Bennett secured 1st place. In Race3 Peter Grey & Matt Foskitt, despite a head wound from an errant spinnaker pole showed the fleet the way, followed by Emma Houlihan & Emily Mckenzie with Mckenzie & Scott in 3rd. For the single handers Bennett secured a third win of the day to take the lead overnight.

After a night of more free food, and a few drinks, the fleet faced an across the lake Northerly breeze for the second day. With a course of short beats to maximise the available water Race4 went to Mckenzie and Scott, followed by Grey & Foskitt, In the singlehanders Biglin took the gun. Race 5, was taken by the unstoppable pairing of Mckenzie & Scott, with Shaun Mason 2nd & Phillip Benn 3rd. The single handed continued with the domination of Bennett taking his 4th victory of the championship.

In the 6th and final race the Barry sisters led from start to finish, pursued by Mckenzie & Grey. Alan Bennetts charge to take the singled handed prize with straight bullets was spoilt by Tim Smith, followed by the still rampant Bennett and Linsey Haig from the home club 3rd.

The flukey winds proved a challenge for many teams, used to more open conditions, but Shustoke SC proved yet again to be a super venue for Mirror sailing in the Midlands.

Overall Results:

2005 Midlands Mirrors Championship
1st 2H Gold 70172 Anna Mackenzie & Holly Scott, Royal Windermere
2nd 2H Gold 70347 Peter Gray & Matt Foskett, Staunton Harold
3rd 2H Gold 69776 Emma Barry & Martina Barry, Brightlingsea
4th 2H Gold 70055 Shaun Mason & Ed Hampton Matthews, Hill Head
5th 2H Gold 70125 Ian Eskritt & Matthew Eskritt, Yorkshire Dales
6th 2H Gold 70223 Liam Arrowsmith & Richard Long, Plymouth
7th 2H Silver 70373 Rebecca Kalderon & Olivia Peacock, Itchenor Sailing Club
8th 2H Gold 70346 Emma Houlihan & Emily Mackenzie, Royal Windermere
9th 2H Gold 70361 Edward Fitzgerald & James Wallace, Itchenor
10th 2H Gold 70356 David Conlon & Mitchell Bond, Brightlingsea
11th 2H Silver 39970 Inge Lisa Hansen & Hannah Mitchell, Hollingworth Lake
12th 2H Silver 70153 Philip Benn & Oliver Townsend, Ripon
13th 2H Silver 67493 David Moore & Jack Moore, Blithfield
14th 2H Silver 70190 James Wilkinson & Beth White, Mounts Bay
15th 2H Silver 70341 Christopher Matthews & Michael Conlon, Brightlingsea
16th 2H Silver 70324 Lilly Carlisle & Becky Wallbank, Ripon
17th 2H Silver 70354 Helena Newell & Charlotte Fitzgerald, Itchenor
18th 2H Silver 70362 Chris Rust & Alex Lloyd, Brightlingsea
19th 2H Silver 69907 William Field & Josh Barrow, Mounts Bay
20th 2H Gold 70124 Josh Pritchard & Francis Harvey, Mounts Bay
21st 2H Gold 70253 Jilli Darling & Jean Furness, Itchenor Sailing Club
22nd 2H Gold 70167 Henry Westropp & Jeremy Williamson, Royal Windermere
23rd 2H Gold 69035 Stuart Sutcliffe & Helene Jardon, Shustoke
24th 2H Silver 70133 Carla Sheldon & Katy Sheldon, Royal Plymouth
25th 2H Silver 69943 John Harvey & James Brant, Mounts Bay
26th 2H Silver 69424 Roseanna Yeoward & Katie Greenwood, Budworth
27th 2H 70335 Ceilidh Higgs & Joanna Corris, Herne Bay

Singlehanded Fleet:
1st 69929 Alan Bennet, Staunton Harold
2nd 70142 Tim Smith, Bassenthwaite
3rd 44410 Chris Biglin, Shustoke
4th 70025 Pat Hufton, Shustoke
5th 70108 Len Kniverton, Shustoke
6th 70112 Lindsay Haig, Shustoke
7th 30792 Angus Carliisle, Ripon
8th 68870 Fred Gilbert, Shustoke
9th 37978 Stuart Ellis, Shustoke
10th 19220 Donald Miller, Shustoke
11th 96 John Goodings, Shustoke
12th 43127 David Walker, Shustoke
13th 44664 Ann Biglin, Shustoke
14th Roy Gurney, Shustoke
14th A Winters, Shustoke