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Probably the windiest EVER LWA event, the forecast was for 18 to 20 Knots gusting 35, and that was what we got - and MUCH more, in Spades! Brog is renowned for dishing up the wind but this was unbelievable. Before racing started the wind teased us, one minute it was perfect 9.5 weather and the next it was over the 20 knots mark. There was a wide range of sails in use, some had decided to rig for the lulls and others for the gusts, so the spread was from 7.5’s to Tim Gibson’s 10.5 Demon. We were also favoured by the presence of Bob Ingram whose search for a relaxing day’s windsurfing was not as successful as he might have wished.
The course was a figure of eight with the windward mark in the top corner of the lake, giving a good beat up the full length. A Gate Start was used and a sizeable fleet started Race One, however the massive gusts which swept the lake soon started to take their toll and the fleet began to thin out as the retirements started. Andy Lacy, sailing his new Phantom with a 9.5 Tushy XR Race, took first place ahead of Tim Gibson who miraculously held on to his 10.5 Demon. Nick Kidd finished in third.
After Race One Chris Gibson decided that he would change down to a borrowed 7.4 Imco, Rod Davis decided he had already had sufficient stuffing knocked out of him in Race One and passed his Lightning 7.8 on to his son Jon. This obviously benefited Jon as he streaked to victory in Race Two, well ahead of Tim Gibson and Nick Kidd.
One amusing feature of the day was that the little dog, Rusty by name, who belongs to Brog Lake owner Tony Tiffen, took extreme exception to the air horn being used by race Officer Janet Pain to start the races and every time she hooted he tried to sink his teeth into her leg! The horn must have been generating some extremely painful frequencies audible only to dogs. Janet eventually had to persuade someone to throw a tennis ball as far away as possible each time she had to use the hooter.
By Race Three Chris Gibson had managed to get his 7.4 rigged to his satisfaction whilst Tim Gibson decided that a changedown to a 9m was in order. This Race was sailed in howling winds by only FIVE starters, the remaining 11 sailors stayed on the bank and made helpful remarks. Jon Davis again made use of his borrowed 7.8 to stay ahead of Tim Gibson on his 9.0 and Adrian Rippington, also on a Lightning 7.8. The remaining two finishers were Nick Kidd, also on a 7.8 and Chris Gibson on his IMCO 7.4.
The wind actually steadied down somewhat for Race Four and Tim Gibson made good use of his extra sail size to take first place ahead of Jon Davis and Andy Lacy.
This gave Jon first place overall by the margin of one single point from Tim, who won the Unlimited class!
RESULTS: Overall positions in brackets
Raceboard:
1: Jon Davis (1); 2: Andy Lacy (3); 3: Adrian Rippington (5)
Unlimited:
1: Tim Gibson (2); 2: Nick Kidd (4)
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LWA Summer Series 2009
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Sat 16 May Brogborough
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R1
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R2
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R3
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R4
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Dis
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Total
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1
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531
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Jon Davis
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RR
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4
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1
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1
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2
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4
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4
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2
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40
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Tim Gibson
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RUM
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2
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2
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2
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1
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2
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5
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3
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938
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Andy Lacy
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RRV
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1
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4
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DNF
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3
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17
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8
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4
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133
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Nick Kidd
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RUV
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3
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3
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4
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5
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5
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10
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5
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843
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Adrian Rippington
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RRV
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DNF
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5
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3
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4
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17
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12
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6
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0
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Chris Gibson
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RRV
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6
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DNF
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5
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6
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17
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17
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7
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164
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Bob Ingram
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RRM
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5
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8
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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30
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8
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868
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Bill Keeling
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RRV
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DNF
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6
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DNF
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7
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17
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30
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9
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985
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Tony Godwin
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RRV
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7
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7
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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31
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10
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537
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Rod Davis
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RRV
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8
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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42
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11
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315
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Geoff Gray
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RRV
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DNF
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9
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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43
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12
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416
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Alan Jackson
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RRV
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DNF
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10
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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44
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13
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989
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Adrian Brearley
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RRV
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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51
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13
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538
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Janet Pain
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RRW
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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51
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13
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1311
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David Kinnerley
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RRV
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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51
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13
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587
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Mike Crowther
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RRV
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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DNF
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17
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51
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