Event 4
Venue: Wirral Sailing Centre, West Kirby
Date: 16 September 2006

Light winds make it a tense final!!!
It was always going to be very tense – West Kirby Warriors had held the upper hand over Team Astbury throughout the season but it was down to this final event that the series winners would be decided – just like last year! The difference this year was that the Warriors had home advantage – or was it????? Very light shifty winds, was not what we expected from this high wind venue. With 43 keen sailors from 5 clubs and a sack full of trophies, cancelling was out of the question providing we could squeeze in at least 3 races – better still 4.

After a short delay for what little wind there was to fill, it was decided to set up a simple out and in course. The 6.8m fleet was followed by each fleet in turn with a short 1 minute countdown. All the sailors found the conditions demanding but at least we were sailing!! The newcomers from the Salford Sharks and the Manley Mere Katz coped well enough but the more experience sailors in the other teams showed what could be achieved with a good pumping technique.

Taking advantage of what little wind there was 2 more races were held on the same short course so giving us “an event”.  Lunch was taken as the wind dropped even more! In true sportsmanship fashion the scoring was taken on by Ann and Caroline – both parents of sailors from West Kirby and Astbury. To add to the tension they had decided not to publish the results at the lunch break and to not get involved in the final results. That was going to be left to me to reveal all at the prize giving – talk about tense!!!!!

Knowing that this event was so important to the West Kirby and Astbury sailors I consulted with the coaches and it was agreed that the racing would be suspended until the wind returned. So, the sun came out, the Rotary Club launched their annual duck race and the racers played in the water – time to chill!

Eventually just enough wind arrived to give us one last race and more importantly 1 discard. At this stage you could tell that the event was reaching a climax as parents and team members cheered and applauded each competitor crossed the finish line.

Having already put in a brilliant 2x1st’s and a 2^nd, Warriors 6.8m sailor Jay Gwynn needed a good result to secure victory. The start was not good but he was gaining on everyone with some good pumping. His luck didn’t hold as his outhaul collapsed and he had to retire. Elliott Taylor (Astbury) took his place on this last race result. Whilst the wind conditions were very fickle the results of the leading sailors were remarkably consistent. The Hollingworth Hunters’ Harriett Ellis, a 6.8m Techno sailor, achieved a full set of 1^st’s. Astbury’s Sarah Reynolds was elated to beat fellow competitors and Zone Squad sailors in the 5.5m fleet with 2x1st’s and a 2^nd. Jonathon Milton, a Hollingworth Hunter in the 4.5m fleet had the same results and took 1^st overall. So on a day when perhaps you would not normally go windsurfing you could go racing – Team15 style!!!

The prize giving brought back the tension! As each name was called out so was the club – Team Astbury, West Kirby Warriors, Manley Mere Katz and Hollingworth Hunters all had sailors occupying 1^st, 2^nd or 3^rd. So who would win the event??? It was close, very close; Team Astbury just pipped Kirby by 2 points* to win the event and take the series. They go on to represent the Zone at the Champions Cup event at Rutland on 7^th and 8^th October.

Warriors sailor Issac Bradley Baker aged 7, competing for the first time was using what appeared to be a tiny 1.8m sail. Sticking to the task, he completed all the races and deserved a Merit Trophy. The same reward went to Sharks 3.5m sailor Matthew Burrows.

Thanks must go to Simon Smith and his team at Wirral Sailing Centre. Dave on the scoring. Ann and Caroline inputting the results. Sam and Ian on course laying and rescue. Trish helping with the starting.

As the season draws to a close I would like to thank the Coaches who have made the events a success and hope that you will be able to continue the good work into 2007.

Footnotes:-

[* the eagle eyed 3.5m sailors who have studied these results will note that Jack Bailey was incorrectly scored as DNF for races 1 and 2. On checking the score sheets he had a 5^th and a 7^th. This means that he was 3^rd in the 3.5m fleet and 1^st Techno 3.5 – apologies go to Jack for the error. This result did not alter the final team places]

To the Manley Mere Katz – yes, I know how to spell your name but a well known Windsurfing Magazine doesn’t – you are NOT the Mankey Mere Katz and I think that you deserve an apology at least, from the said magazine! Why not send them a team ‘photo!!!

Xevent for Juniors looking to move into the Regional NWWA circuit – Sunday 22^nd October, Southport. Contact me for more info.

Winning team & series winners
Team Astbury

Event report
Written by Mike Roberts (T15 CO - West Zone)

We are the Champions!
West Kirby Warriors
T15 Champions 2008

Congratulations!

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