North West Senior Traveller Series at Burwain Sailing Club
by Dave Woodhead 19 May 2022 22:57 NZST
17 May 2022
A windier moment during the North West Senior Travellers at Burwain © Paul Hargreaves
On Tuesday the 17th May the second event in the NW Senior Traveller Series was held at Burwain Sailing Club. The forecasts showed 11 knots from the south bringing temperatures into the mid-twenties.
This all sounded perfect except for the fact that Burwain Reservoir lies in a valley running east to west with highland immediately to the south of the water (can you tell I used to be a Geography teacher?). The wind came over the highland and sometimes descended to water level and sometimes it didn't! When it did reach water level it brought windshifts of up to 40 degrees. It was an interesting day, you could be on the plane one minute and becalmed the next!
With many of the regular travellers unable to make this event, a reduced entry of a dozen boats enjoyed close racing with the usual snakes and ladders effect of the unpredictable and patchy winds.
Andy Flitcroft sailing a Supernova from Bolton SC mastered the conditions best to take the event with 2 firsts and a third, closely followed by Dave Woodhead in a Solo from Elton SC with a first, a second and a third. Ian Lees in a D zero missed the first race but did enough to secure 3rd place with a second and a third. The top 5 were completed by Martin Cooper in a Laser from West Lancs YC and Trevor Ormerod in a Solo from the home club.
Full results of the series and details of the series programme can be found on Facebook, search for North West Dinghy Sailors Senior Travellers Series.
Details of future events are also available on the RYA North West website.
The next event will be at Bolton SC on the 7th June. Sailors must be over 50 to qualify.