Allen Enterprise Masters Championship at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club

Allen Enterprise Masters Championship at Leigh & Lowton © Anne Jackson

Fifteen boats arrived early for an 11.30am start. Our Race Officer of the day Mike Baldwin and his team, briefed everybody that the postponement flag would be flying as the wind was not steady enough at the time we were meant to sail.

Unfortunately the wind was still very light and appearing on the water from all corners of Pennington Flash, so the race officer postponed racing for the day. The wind forecast for Sunday looked much better and we were promised more wind. We enjoyed a black tie evening with a superb three course meal and even though their were only 30 Enterprise sailors we still managed drink the bar dry.

Sunday morning and the breeze was on! A south westerly wind, 10mph gusting 20mph although one of the gusts recorded was 38mph. The wind was never steady and the wind shifts were the same.

Race 1 - With a port bias line, it was who was ever bravest to commit to the pin end was surely onto a winner. Tim Sadler & Chris Keatley (Yorkshire Dales /Penarth) navigated their way up to the windward mark, followed by Nigel and Andy Bird (RYA). There was a short reach and then onto a tricky shifty run. Boats were changing position throughout the middle of the pack and Phil & Laura Bevan held third onto another reach and back on the beat and through the line. The position stayed the same at the close of the race. In fourth place were Anne Jackson & Alan Skeens (Burghfield) and fifth were Nick Jackson & Ros Coleman (Burghfield / Chester).

Race 2 - Again the start was port bias and this time Nigel won the pin end and worked the shifts up the beat to round in first, Steve Blackburn and Tim Brownell (Leigh & Lowton / WLYC) were in second and Tim Sadler in third. Again the racing was very close as always with the Enterprise fleet never really a boat length apart. The positions stayed the same at the finish with Martin Honor & Natalie Roach (Ogston / Royal Navy) in fourth and Jane & Nick Scutt (Middle Nene) fifth.

Race 3 - We were all pretty used to the format although tiring as this was the third race held back to back. Tim Sadler navigated the shifts and took the lead up the first beat. Steve Blackburn was in second and Phil Bevan in third. Again there were no changes in position at the finish. The wind was far more blustery with the shifts swinging all the more. Nigel Bird came in fourth with Jane Scutt in fifth.

We all headed in for some well needed lunch and time to reflect and chat about the great racing which had taken place.

For the final race of the Enterprise Masters we had two contenders; Tim Sadler had two first and a third place and Nigel Bird had first, a second and fourth place. So whoever went on to win the last race was going to win the Championship.

The shifts were all over the show in the final race with Nigel rounding in first. Tim wasn't so lucky and rounded around 5th or 6th. With the run being just as tricky, Charles Morish & Alison Robertson Morish (St Marys Loch) sailed the run beautifully and overtook 5 or 6 boats. The sailors who hung out to left hand side of the run seemed to pay off. By the second beat Tim Sadler was in second place, closing on the heals of Nigel. Back onto the following run, there was a mark on the run which signifies an obstruction and becomes part of the course. Tim Sadler called for room on the obstruction buoy and was able to gybe onto port and then back on to starboard which enabled Tim to break the overlap as they headed into the following mark. Unfortunately the wind had veered round to the south and the beat was now one sided with no where to overtake. Tim went on to win the race with Nigel second. Phil Bevan finished again in third with his consistent racing. Charles Morish with his superior downwind speed finished in fourth and Steve Blackburn crawled his way through fleet to fifth.

Overall Results: