Sailing: Windy conditions at Kippford

Aug 19 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

WITH STRONG winds causing 12 masts to break, numerous sails torn and at least one boat written off, it was an eventful Kippford Week and Regatta.

Fifty six dinghies, 12 flying fifteens and eight sailing cruisers entered in seven fleets.

Lindsay Tosh was race officer for the cruisers and flying fifteens and Stewart Biggar took control of the dinghies as race officer.

Sea conditions all week were described as moderate with swells on eight feet at times.

Wind conditions described as moderate to strong ranging from force four to six.

Of course the event also had rain but managed to get some sun towards the end of the week. Through all this though racing was tight and extremely competitive. On Thursday four fast handicap sailing cruisers converged on the same stop of the start line and although several collided no serious damage occurred.

The cruiser committee boat was struck several times by flying fifteens and a piece of the committee boat was made into a special prize.

Kippford Week results:

Cruiser Fast Handicap: 1 David Henderson and crew in Tara; 2 John Searle and crew in Kintra.

Cruiser Slow Handicap: 1 Duncan Greenhalgh and crew in Maggie-B; 2 Martin Wilson and crew in Force One.

Flying Fifteens: 1 David\Sue Giles; 2 Scott Train\Anne Stewart in Iffor the Engine; 3 Colin Filer\Jamie Gasgoine in Fe-Fo-IV.

Handicap 1: 1 Sandy\Mhairi Gass in a Fireball, 2 and 1 Laser Standard Richard Colbeck; 3 Euan Towart\Eilidh MacDonald in a RS200, 4 and 2 Laser Standard Calum Gillespie.

Handicap 2: John Broadbent\Claire Horwood in a GP14; 2 Ian\Nicola Holden in a GP14; 3 Mark Lewis\ in a GP14.

Handicap 2 Laser Radial: 1 Ross Carmichael; 2 Amelia Joseph; 3 George Clark.

Handicap 3: 1 Kelly Carmichael\Emily McCall in an RS Feva; 2 Robert Johnstone\crew in a Mirror; 3 Douglas Thomson\Merryn Thomson in a Mirror.

Handicap 3 Toppers: 1 Philippa Benson; 2 James Kelly

Regatta\RNLI results:

Cruiser Handicap: 1 Duncan Greenhalgh and crew in Maggie-B; 2 David Henderson and crew in Tara.

Flying Fifteens: 1 Colin Filer\Jamie Gasgoine in Fe-Fo-IV; Ian\Pat Preistley in Ffinit.

Handicap 1: 1 Simon Roberts in a Laser Standard; 2 Sandy\Mhairi Gass in a Fireball; 3 Richard Colbeck in a Laser Standard; 4 Tim Colbeck in a Laser Standard.

Handicap 2: 1 Ian\Nicola Holden in a GP14; 2 and 1 Laser Radial Stuart Keegan; 3 Ian\Margaret Pukis in a National 12.

Handicap 3: 1 Douglas Thomson\Abigail Thomson in a Mirror; 2 Dewi\Hamish Williams in a Mirror.