(Click Read More & Scroll down for results and photos)
High pressure and a forecast of calm or light airs may have reduced the turnout this year but a respectable fleet of 10 boats were rewarded with some competitive racing over 3 races in light variable north westerly winds characterised by unpredictable and large shifts.
The first race was won by Kevin and Scott Bilham (Ely SC ), closely followed by Phil and Laura Bevan (Grafham SC) and John and Molly Wells (Ely SC) .The leading three boats established an early lead and remained well ahead while calms and light airs dogged the rest of the fleet.
The second race saw much closer racing with Phil Bevan losing out on the last leg when the leading 4 boats realised they were heading for the wrong mark of the sausage/triangle course. The finish was extremely close with John and Mollly Wells leading round the last mark followed closely Antony Cole and Andrew Holmes (Aldenham SC) and Kevin and Scott Bilham (Ely SC ). With all three boats, abeam and within metres of the line on a downwind finish, Antony and Andrew managed to edge their bow ahead and over the line to take first place, the first home boat to win a race the ASC Enterprise Open for some years!
After lunch the wind filled in slightly and became more westerly for the third race on a dogleg course. Well meant suggestions about Aldenham sailors needing more starting practice seemed to spur Les Smith and Cathy Littlejohn to up their game for the third race. Les established a clear lead from the start followed by Antony and Phil. The second and third lap saw Les’s lead gradually eroded and produced some very close racing that, from the shore was very interesting to watch - especially at the leeward mark where the jockying for position was, to say the least, entertaining on at least 2 legs where several boats met. Kevin and Scott lost out because they decided to cover Antony and Andrew rather than Phil and Laura who achieved a well win deserved 1st place and became overall winners of the 2009 ASC trophy.
Thanks to all competitors and volunteers, especially Steve Sharpe OOD and the AOD’s for well run races and good courses, and to Tim Ross-Esplan and Louise Halle for a fantastic lunch.
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