ILCA Open at Midland Sailing Club

Midland SC ILCA Open © George Bender & Paul Young

A 'steady' 8 knots of south-westerly breeze brushed across Edgbaston Reservoir on the morning of Sunday 22nd May for the Midland SC Laser Open meeting. Five visitors from the region joined the seven home competitors. By the time the course needed setting, the wind had become more shifty and the committee boat um'd and ah'd deciding on where to put the first beat.

Sure enough, plenty of shifts came out to play from the very first beat of the first race, with John Ling hot on the heels of Simon Hardiman in pole as they rounded the windward mark. A great second beat on the first lap gave the lead to John, who kept it until a massive lift up the very same beat one lap later sent Simon from thirty seconds behind to thirty seconds in front of him.

Midland SC ILCA Open - photo © George Bender & Paul Young

Great sailing from George Feredey put him right up the chuff of second (John). Over the line, on the water, there were about thirty second gaps between the first three boats.

A spicy start to race 2 caused three individual recalls; Millie Hardiman and John Ling returned back over the start while Simon Hardiman failed to notice and was eventually disqualified OCS from the race. A moral win then for Hardiman Jr. and a victory over Dad! Despite this, Simon led by almost a minute at the finish and sailed an excellent race. George in the radial was first around the downwind mark on lap 1 with Neil Crosby close behind. Phil Deeley in third with Midland's own Dean Jung in a close fourth.

Midland SC ILCA Open - photo © George Bender & Paul Young

It was noticed that the beats on the course were becoming more and more one-sided, thanks to the wind shifts. It was the committee's decision to shorten this race to make room for a longer final race, where we could only pray the wind behaved itself. John, George and Neil were all within a minute of each other over the line and Dean came home fourth.

It was a testament to the close racing at this event that four out of the final five boats in this race crossed the finish lines within a span of three seconds, leading to frantic activity by the race recorders.

An honourable mention to Millie in another radial rig who took fifth in race 2 on corrected time, while being the fastest junior and fastest lady in this race, and the whole event.

Midland SC ILCA Open - photo © George Bender & Paul Young

No drama at the start line of the final race, all boats being well clear of the line. The course was changed back to that of the first race, having worked well at the start. The first beat saw Millie go up the right of the lake, with all other boats staying in the middle, where the breeze had typically been most reliable through the day. The decision paid off though and she was at the competitive end of the fleet up by the first windward mark.

The usual suspects led the race and at the first downwind mark the order was John, Simon, Neil with George in the radial in fourth. Fantastic upwind legs put nothing between the first three sailors, though there were no changes to the order at the next windward mark.

Midland SC ILCA Open - photo © George Bender & Paul Young

Boats 5,6,7 and 8 were also all within a few boat lengths, making for an exciting rounding. Of the front three boats it was anybody's race up the windward beats; the order changed on every lap. Neil held the lead for a lot of the race but was ultimately unable to hang on to it. Trailing boats would frequently catch huge lifts and sneak ahead past windward marks.

Eventually John Ling took the win on the water by some forty seconds with Neil Crosby second and Simon Hardiman in third. George in the radial was sufficiently close in fourth to win on corrected time, in this race, and in fact, all of them!

Overall, Neil Crosby was fourth and the fastest grandmaster sailor, Simon Hardiman was third, John Ling was second and George Fereday won as well as being the fastest radial rig.

Overall Results: