IOM Ranking event at Woodspring Model Sailing Club

by Nigel Barrow 30 Oct 2023 11:24 PDT

Messing about in the mud (rescue training at Portishead) © Nigel Barrow

Just after a B heat start - IOM Ranking event at Woodspring Club, Portishead © Nigel Barrow

The forecast looked promising for this event with a strong breeze blowing straight down the lake. Alas, never believe what you read in the forecast.

Conditions for the weekend at Portishead were light and there was more easterly in the wind which meant it had to come over a large hill, through a couple of housing estates and then through the trees at the upwind end of the lake. The result was a challenging breeze which flicked at random across the two days. I am sure this caused our Race Officer Tony Edwards a headache, but he did set courses which made the best use of the breeze and provided us with good racing.

Woodspring is an interesting location in a glorious setting on the edge of the Severn estuary. When you look out over it the water is brown on the ebb and blue on the rising tide. Over the weekend we saw a huge 'jack up' ship pass and a large car transporter which were interesting distractions.

A jackup ship passes by Portishead - photo © Nigel Barrow

One of the curious but I guess essential activities I saw on the estuary, was a group of about 15 doing mud rescue training with two volunteers about 100 yards out in the mud sitting presumably waiting to be rescued by the victims/ volunteers. It's a messy smelly business but I guess someone has to do it and we are grateful for them. Enough of that, on with the racing.

With 32 boats on Saturday and 37 on Sunday, racing was in two heats with four up and down on Saturday and six up and down on Sunday.

On Saturday no one could keep up with Rob Walsh whose worst results were two fifths. It was a true master class leaving Craig Richards and Peter Stollery in his wake. All bar Rob counted at least one bad race often caused by the collection of a leaf or a stick on the fin. Well done Rob.

After watching the Rugby on Saturday night accompanied perhaps by the occasional beverage, competitors returned to the water to be greeted by similar conditions to the Saturday. Sunday was Peter Stollery's day, who dominated over Rob and Craig Richards but even Peter had one bad race which he was able to discard.

Tony managed to squeeze in 8 races and whilst conditions were tricky and at times frustrating for those in the pack, a good time was had by all and out thanks must go to the team of volunteers who made the weekend so enjoyable:

Event coordinator - Bob Connor
Race officer - Tony Edwards
Scorers - Sue Conner, Min Edwards
Scoreboard Finish - Alan Barnstable, Sarah Bush
Start/Fin/rescue - Simon Evans
Observer/admin - Steve Gill

Thank you, Woodspring. We look forward to coming back.

Saturday's winner, Rob Walsh - IOM Ranking event at Woodspring Club, Portishead - photo © Nigel Barrow

Saturday's Results:

Position	Hull	Sail No	Helm	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	Pts
1	BritPOP!	25	Rob Walsh	Fleetwood	1	2	5	3	1	1	5	13
2	Alioth	112	Craig Richards	Datchet Water	2	4	4	18	2	3	4	19
3	BritPOP!	39	Peter Stollery	Guildford	1	5	11	1	8	2	8	25
4	Venti	12	Gavin Watson	West Cornwall	7	1	10	50	15	4	1	28
5	BritPOP!	98	Darrin Ballington	Lincoln	2	10	60	4	10	19	3	35
6	BritPOP!	54	Nigel Barrow	Frensham Pond	8	16	1	13	4	11	2	39
7	Dead Reckoning	87	Derek Priestley	Fleetwood	4	7	8	10	3	7	13	39
8	Venti	65	Pete Walters	Lincoln	5	13	14	20	11	9	6	46
9	V11	23	David Lindsay	Hampton Court	3	6	3	11	13	12	12	47
10	BritPOP!	73	Vernon Appleton	Datchet Water	3	8	17	21	6	6	16	56
11	V10	68	Peter Cropper	Dartmoor	7	9	18	14	7	10	18	65
12	Venti	46	Mick Chamberlain	Lincoln	14	20	22	8	50	14	10	71
13	BritPOP!	22	Ben Harker	Norwich	120	12	9	7	17	19	14	71
14	BritPOP!	154	Roy Stevens	Scarborough	13	11	12	16	14	13	9	72
15	K2	30	Roger Crates	Bridlington	6	17	27	23	9	8	11	74
16	Venti	163	Rob Dyer	Eastleigh	4	3	20	15	25	29	30	78
17	BritPOP!	94	Simon Clarke	Windrush	9	19	7	9	18	21	17	79
18	BritPOP!	97	Robert Wilson	Lincoln	5	33	19	33	21	5	7	90
19	SV	144	Nigel Brown	Gosport	9	24	24	6	12	16	23	90
20	Alternative	16	Richard Aucott	Sedgemoor	6	14	13	17	22	24	21	93
21	Sedici	15	Eric Austwick	Fleetwood	14	23	21	12	16	23	25	109
22	Alioth	32	Simon Richardson	Manor Park	8	27	29	20	23	17	15	110
23	Viper	17	Rob Bradbourne	Manor Park	10	22	15	19	26	26	20	112
24	BritPOP!	14	Bob Conner	Woodspring	13	15	26	29	27	22	19	122
25	V10	44	Tim Hand	Lincoln	11	25	25	27	20	15	29	123
26	Isotonic	139	Oliver Stollery	Guildford	11	320	16	28	19	30	22	126
27	BritPOP!	49	Tracey Ballington	Lincoln	15	21	320	24	24	20	24	128
28	MX14	56	Simon Fairman	ROFWAC	10	26	23	22	30	27	31	138
29	Equinox	71	John Taylor	Woodspring	12	31	28	26	29	25	26	146
30	Kantun 2	60	Errol Edwards	Chew Valley	15	29	31	25	28	28	28	153
31	Venti	175	Anthony Marshall	Hove	17	28	20	30	32	33	33	160
32	Slimbo 2	37	Dave Morris	Dartmoor	16	30	30	31	31	33	27	165

Sunday's Results:

Position	Hull	Sail No	Skipper	Club	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	BritPOP!	39	Peter Stollery	Guildford	4	1	12	2	2	2	5	1	12
2	BritPOP!	25	Rob Walsh	Fleetwood	1	14	15	1	1	3	3	7	16
3	Alioth	112	Craig Richards	Datchet	2	16	2	5	5	9	2	4	20
4	BritPOP!	54	Nigel Barrow	Frensham Pond	1	5	13	6	3	6	13	3	24
5	V10	44	Tim Hand	Lincoln	4	15	10	3	7	8	1	8	31
6	Venti	163	Rob Dyer	Eastleigh	5	9	1	4	10	7	16	27	36
7	V11	23	David Lindsay	Hampton Court	2	3	5	16	12	10	17	5	37
8	BritPOP!	87	Derek Priestley	Fleetwood	7	7	3	18	26	1	7	14	39
9	BritPOP!	22	Ben Harker	Norwich	6	8	7	8	4	12	8	18	41
10	BritPOP!	98	Darin Ballington	Lincoln	6	13	6	12	6	22	6	9	45
11	BritPOP!	94	Simon Clarke	Windrush	11	4	16	10	11	15	4	10	50
12	Alternative	16	Richard Aucott	Sedgemoor	3	6	17	22	37	4	10	11	51
13	BritPOP!	14	Bob Conner	Woodspring	14	2	11	11	14	13	19	2	53
14	Venti	65	Pete Walters	Lincoln	12	10	4	15	20	5	11	13	55
15	BritPOP!	154	Roy Stevens	Scarborough	8	22	8	7	8	17	22	22	70
16	SV	144	Nigel Brown	Gosport	9	24	20	28	15	11	14	19	88
17	BritPOP!	97	Robert Wilson	Lincoln	3	19	26	14	13	18	25	21	88
18	BritPOP!	9	Steve Venables	Manor Park	14	34	18	23	28	14	9	15	93
19	Sedici	55	Nigel Clarke	Sedgemoor	9	29	27	13	9	16	24	33	98
20	K2	30	Roger Crates	Bridlington	8	17	19	34	19	20	15	20	98
21	Equinox	71	John Taylor	Woodspring	17	18	14	9	18	25	33	30	101
22	Vickers V9	62	Colin Newton	Woodspring	7	12	9	17	22	37	37	37	104
23	Isotonic	139	Oliver Stollery	Guildford	12	35	23	24	27	23	12	12	106
24	BritPOP!	73	Vernon Appleton	Datchet	17	23	22	26	17	22	28	6	107
25	Viper	17	Rob Radboume	Manor Park	10	33	28	21	23	24	18	16	112
26	Venti	46	Mick Chamberlain	Lincoln	13	21	32	19	24	19	20	23	115
27	V10	68	Peter Cropper	Dartmoor	5	20	30	20	16	29	29	32	119
28	BritPOP!	49	Tracey Ballington	Lincoln	13	11	21	33	29	26	26 34		126
29	MX14	56	Simon Fairman	ROFWAC	10	25	25	25	30	28	21 25		131
30	Kantun 2	60	Errol Edwards	Chew Valley	16	27	34	27	25	27	32 26		148
31	Venti	175	Anthony Marshall	Hove Lagoon	11	32	31	31	32	30	23 24		150
32	Alioth	32	Simon Richardson	Manor Park	15	28	35	30	35	37	27 17		152
33	Sedici	15	Eric Austwick	Fleetwood	16	31	29	29	22	31	34 31		158
34	BritPOP!	0	Mark Butler	Fleetwood	15	30	24	32	31	37 31	29		160
35	Slimbo 2	37	David Morris	Dartmoor	19	26	33	37	33	33 30	28		169
36	Arrow	47	Rick Hemerslag	Sedgemoor	18	36	36	35	34	32 35	37		190