GP14 Southern Travellers at Papercourt Sailing Club

Light wind morning - GP14 Southern Travellers at Papercourt © Frank Brown / PSC

With nine online entries it looked like a good turn-out for the first GP14 Southern Travellers event on 26th March but ultimately the variable weather forecast led to a couple of no-shows.

With light and variable north westerlies in the morning and freshening north easterlies in the afternoon Race Officer and Commodore Frank Brown took a pragmatic approach setting a square in the wider part of the lake as the morning course with longer courses in the afternoon utilising the whole lake.

Series winners from 2022 Maurice Cleal and Romek Kowalewski from Wembley/Welsh Harp SC started where they left off leading to the first mark followed by Tomasz Szakola/Adeel Khan (Welsh Harp SC) and locals James Ward/ Richard Whitehill, Andy Shrimpton and Roger Jeffs (Welsh Harp SC) and David Innes/ Jon Denyer from Frensham Pond close behind.

As the wind got lighter Innes and Denyer came through to take second with Szakola/Khan in third.

Tomasz Szakola and Adeel Khan battling hard - GP14 Southern Travellers at Papercourt - photo © Frank Brown / PSC

The second race started with a big right shift on the start line with all seven competitors looking for the perfect spot on the line. With Ward and Whitehill and Innes/Denyer pushed onto the committee boat Shrimpton/jeffs, Cleal /Kowalewski and Jamie Isles and Steve Bethel (Welsh Harp) led up the first beat only for positions to change on the second lap as the wind began to veer.

Cleal/Kowalewski came through to take a second win with Ward/Whitehill and Innes/Denyer coming through the fleet like Lazarus to take second and third.

Maurice Cleal and Romek Kaneski, winners - GP14 Southern Travellers at Papercourt - photo © Frank Brown / PSC

After an excellent lunch the fleet were faced with a different situation with an excellent breeze coming right down the lake. Szakola/Khan led off the line with Shrimpton/Jeffs coming through to take the lead for the first two laps before Szakola retook the lead with Cleal /Kowalewski also coming through to take second ahead.

As the fourth race started some big gusts came through making for some great sailing and again Szakola/Khan and Cleal/Kowalewski battled continuously around the course with some extremely tactical spinnaker reaches before Cleal sealed the win with Szakola a close second and James Ward coming through to take third

Overall Results:

GP14 Southern Travellers at Papercourt - photo © Frank Brown / PSC