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Round-up of the racing at Welland Yacht Club




The first two races in the Sunday Points Series were held at Welland Yacht Club on Sunday and the helms were greeted with the forecasted very light winds and sunny skies.

With what little wind there was and the direction it gave, a short beat to number one buoy saw five boats brave the conditions that was not helped by the amount of weed.

It was Andy Prior in the Laser that judged the start well and managed to just stay to windward of Mark Scourfield in the Solo and round the buoy in the lead.

Alan Cox.
Alan Cox.

With Scourfield and Alan Cox having to put a tack in, he was away and clear at this stage.

Cox managed to go round the outside to take second spot with Scourfield in third followed by Andy Agar in the OK and Richard Stedman in his Comet dinghy.

The run down to number three buoy was a case of patience as the light breeze often moved 360 degrees and boats were at different points of sailing while on the same leg which proved very frustrating for all.

Sailors head downwind at Welland Yacht Club.
Sailors head downwind at Welland Yacht Club.

This was coupled with the constant need to clear the rudders from the ever-present weed which made it unpleasant.

The course was shortened to one lap much to everyone's relief and Prior was never challenged as he finished first over the line and first on handicap timings.

Stedman in the Comet proved what a good light air boat it is by coming home in a creditable second place on handicap with Scourfield in third followed by Cox and Agar.

Andy Prior.
Andy Prior.

The second race in the series had a course change of one to four buoy which was to catch one person out later.

The rounding after the start was a re-run of the first race with Prior, Cox, Scourfield, Stedman and Agar.

Once again the light breeze meant at stages during the race boats changed positions on a handicap timing if no physical place changes took place.

The start of Sunday’s racing.
The start of Sunday’s racing.

With the run to the second corner and a reach along to four buoy, it was Prior who with clear air managed to pull out a lead from Scourfield and closely followed by Cox, Stedman and Agar.

Prior was first to the mark and rounded on the incorrect side and, having no right of way, was caught up in the other boats which allowed Scourfield and Cox to pull away for the time being.

By the end of the straight, Stedman had kept in touch and was holding on the other boats and sailing the slowest on handicap to be very well placed.

Prior recovered well to pass Scourfield and Cox to gain the lead and pull away on the slow beat back to the finish line.

He crossed the line first, followed by Cox and then Stedman, Scourfield and Agar.

However, Stedman had sailed well enough to have taken a well deserved first place on handicap from Prior in second and Cox in third.

The third race was the final outing in the Afternoon Points series and only three boats took to the water as some Father's Day duties were called upon.

Andy Agar in the OK made a great start, rounding one buoy first ahead of Prior and Stedman in third and, with the breeze conditions not getting any better, they made the slow progress to number four buoy.

This became a procession with the order not changing only the distance between the boats as the wind was as fickle as ever.

Prior got the rounding right this time and sailed the one lap race well in the lead followed by Agar in second and Stedman hanging onto these two.

After 40 minutes, they crossed the line in that order with Prior taking the first place and Stedman in second and Agar third.

This meant that, even with Alan Cox not taking part, he had already clinched the series with Richard Stedman enjoying well deserved success in his new Comet and Helen Boyd in her Solo in a creditable third place.



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