Windy!
Published 10:59 on 16 Mar 2026
The lively weather forecast for races 3 and 4 of the Early Spring Series promised challenges for both racers and the OOD responsible for setting the course for the day, Mark Heaton, who takes up the story:
The forecast was for very strong winds, and the threat of huge gusts meant that many sailors either stayed in bed, took the opportunity to do Mothers Day or turned up but decided not to sail. I was under pressure to set a no-gybe course, but a sneaky windshift just before the start of race 1 suggested that a gybe may be necesssary.
The forecasted gusts meant Simon and Julie Dolman left their spinny on the shore and Ian Duncan deployed his dinky 4.7 rig. But the forecasted mega-gusts did not turn up, which meant Ian regretted his sail choice and Simon was heard telling Julie they should have packed the spinny!
Having said that, a 90 degree wind shift just before race 2 brought the challenge of multiple gybes, which spiced things up a bit! However there were no capsizes, well sailed everyone. Great results for club newcomer Phil Watson in his Streaker which moves him into third place overall after 4 races, with Keiran giving everyone a startline masterclass, crossing the line a 'millisecond' after the starting gun in both races.
It was good to see the backbone of our Southport 24hr race team, Nick and James, continuing their efforts in their Enterprise to build the basis of a race winning team.
Special thanks to the safety boat crew. Jon Davis took the helm for the first time after his Power Boat training under the expert guidance and experience of Mark Roberts. I think they were both relieved they had no customers!!
Thanks also to Beth for being an excellent ARO.
So how did the results turn out. You can see the full results on the club website at:
Race Results : Shotwick Lake Sailing Club
Early Spring Series:
Race 3: 1. Kieran Lewis (Aero 5) 2. Jeremy Cooper (Lightning) 3. Conrad Brown (Laser)
Race4: 1. Kieran Lewis (Aero 5) 2. Phil Watson (Streaker) 3. Conrad Brown
Early Spring Series overall after 4 races:
1. Jeremy Cooper (Lightning) 5pts 2. Matt bennet (Solo) 8pts 3. Phil Watson (Streaker) 9pts 4. Simon&Julie Dolman (Miracle) 15pts
Photo by Dave Barker - more photos from Dave and Beth on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/ShotwickLakeSailingClub
Last updated 10:59 on 16 March 2026
