Blithfield Barrel 2021/22 Overall

Mike Senior (with crews Liz Senior/Ollie Woodhead) wins the Blithfield Barrell 2021/22 © Alastair Reed

Sunday 6th February, with the final two races (7 and 8 in the series) for the 2021/22 Blithfield Barrel, was forecast to be cold, wet and windy, which it exactly what it turned out to be.

WindGuru for Blithfield Reservoir forecast 23knots from the West, steadily increasing all day with gusts of 35knots, and on arrival at the club this is what was seen on the water, but the club weather station ultimately recorded a peak gust sometime in the afternoon of 54knots.

This forecast was enough to put off quite a few visitors and club members from rigging for the first race, preferring to sample the Vice Commodore's hot bacon and sausage baps which kept coming out of the galley all day.

So only eleven boats reached the start line at 12:00 for race 1 of the day (no 7 in the series), and at the gun James Goss and Chris White in Merlin 3814 and Mike Senior and Ollie Woodhead in GP14 13417 crossed line together with a second to spare, closely followed by Eden Hyland in Blaze 848 and Andy Couch in Phantom 1456.

This was the running order for the whole four laps, with James Goss crossing the line in first position, closely followed by Eden Hyland in the Blaze and Andy Couch in 3rd in the Phantom, and Eden finished the first race in first position on corrected time overall, but it was dark horse Mike Senior in GP14 13417 who came in a strong second also on corrected time, 16 seconds later, thus bagging another 2 points to his total and keeping Eden at bay, who was sitting in second position overall at that point.

The wind had eased off considerably during the race, with the sun peeking out at times but picked up again on lap 4, with dark clouds and a drop in temperature forecasting a cold and gruelling second race.

Blithfield Barrell 2021/22 - photo © Iain Ferguson

As all the boats were lapping at 11-15 minutes, there was not long to wait for the second race, as the SIs called for back-to-back races, to get everyone off the water, and warmed up with hot showers and even hotter pies from the Galley, so the 2nd race started promptly at 13:15, with another clean start. The race started with some sunshine and a steady F5, but soon picked up again as forecast, but only 7 boats started.

At the gun, it was tight at the pin end, as everyone was pushed up there by the wind, and again it was James Goss in Merlin 3814 over the line first, with Mike Senior running out of room electing to tack onto port and weave his way through the fleet coming on starboard.

Eden Hyland was set for a first position finish on the water and corrected time after getting past James Goss in Merlin 3814, until lap 2 when he cruised past the Committee boat with his main 12inches short of the black line and a kink in his mast at the gooseneck, resulting in a tow back to the shore.

This left James to cross the line first, but it was Andy Couch in Phantom 1456 picking up first position on corrected time. Yet again it was Mike Senior, plugging away steadily and keeping his GP14 flat, until a slight overshoot at the gybe mark round no.7 resulting in a quick swim, but then a quick righting and a plane down to mark no.1 and a quick beat to the finish bagged another 2 points for a second position finish on corrected time.

Mike Senior (with crews Liz Senior/Ollie Woodhead) wins the Blithfield Barrell 2021/22 - photo © Alastair Reed

Congratulations to Mike Senior and crews, Liz Senior and Ollie Woodhead, from South Staffs SC sailing a 30+year old, wooden GP14 'Racys Rocket' and the first GP14 to win the prestigious all-comers Blithfield Barrel in 2021/22, and we welcome Mike back in November to defend his title in the 2022/23 premier winter series.

For history on the event visit www.blithfield.org.uk/barrel

Final overall results:

1st Blithfield boat, SuperNova 1066, Julian Bassett