Ullswater Yacht Club Winter Series 2022
by Jonathan Nicoll 20 Dec 2022 06:35 PST
Ullswater Yacht Club Winter Series 2022 © Jennie Clark
Six Sundays of great racing, from wild to drifting
Thirty-five boats took part in the Ullswater Yacht Club Winter Series from October 30 to December 4, a total of 24 in the All Class Handicap fleet and 11 of the club's Youths & Juniors.
The original plan was for three races every Sunday until December 18, but a combination of lack of wind, bitter cold and potentially treacherous conditions on the roads led to a decision to cancel the last two Sundays.
On the first Sunday, October 30, 40 mph gusts coming down off Arthur's Pike were knocking the keelboats flat and racing was abandoned after the first two races as sailors started to fear for their rigs. So a total of 17 races out of the planned 24 were completed with 9 to count. Conditions varied from that first wild day to drifting and everything in between with close racing in both fleets.
In the Youth & Junior fleet, Olivia Dembinska in an RS Tera Pro won overall fairly comfortably with nine bullets. But she didn't have everything entirely her own way with other race winners being Laia Priestley, Reuben Dory, Jessica Warner and Agnes Priestley, all sailing Tera Sports. Prizes were donated by Artur Dembinski.
In the ACH fleet, Artur, sailing an Aero 7, couldn't match his daughter's achievement on the water, finishing just off the podium in fourth. Jono Shelley, crewed by Graham and Selina Priestley in a VX One, took seven firsts for the overall win. Other race wins went to the fast-improving Spirit Alderson in an ILCA 6, still technically a Youth but more than holding his own among the adults, with three and Bernard Clark in an OK with a single win.
Overall Results:
ACH
1st Jono Shelley, Graham & Selina Priestley, VX One, UYC, 11pts
2nd Spirit Alderson, ILCA 6, Derwent Reservoir SC, 19pts
3rd Bernard Clark, OK, Overy Staithe SC/ Ripon SC, 23.5pts
Full results at ullswateryachtclub.org/open-events-for-2022-1/untitled-82
Y&J, all UYC
1st Olivia Dembinska, Tera Pro, 9pts
2nd Laia Priestley, Tera Sport, 15.5pts
3rd Reuben Dory, Tera Sport, 22pts
Full results: ullswateryachtclub.org/winter-series-2022/untitled-83