Tom Bell sailed to two victories as he claimed the Grounds Trophy at Welland Yacht Club on Sunday.
The regatta was the first this year to be competed under standard timed format (all boats start at the same time) with class handicaps applied at the end to adjust each finish time.
Eight boats took to the start and all got away cleanly, with Alan Cox taking the lead from Mark Holland (both in Lasers), then Paul and Lucy Burton (Lark) followed by Neal Tack and Rebecca Slator (Graduate), Tom Bell (Laser), Ros Nickols (Europe), Katie Follington (Laser Radial) and Brian Cobb (Europe).
As the fleet made its way to the top mark (buoy four) it was still Cox from Holland then team Burton followed by Bell, Nickols, Tack and Slator, Cobb and Follington.
Once on the run back to the clubhouse, Holland briefly took the lead from Cox with Bell now third from the Burtons, Tack and Slator then Follington – with both Nickols and Cobb retiring from the race.
Once around the bottom mark (buoy one) Cox regained the lead and Bell would move up to second.
Meanwhile, back in fifth place Tack and Slator where still trying to keep within handicap distance of the faster classes ahead.
On the final run back to buoy one the wind had died slightly – allowing the three lead Lasers to bunch up. Cox was just holding onto the lead until rounding the final mark, when Bell managed his way through to the front.
He was first across the line followed by Cox, Holland and the Burtons, then Tack and Slator and Follington.
Once times had been corrected under handicap the first two places remained unchanged, but Tack and Slator moved up to take third, with Holland down in fourth.
Race two saw only six boats taking part. On rounding the top mark Cox and Bell had pulled out a considerable lead over Holland in third, with the Burtons fourth and Tack and Slator and Follington behind.
On the run back to the clubhouse Bell moved ahead of Cox and, with Cobb electing to retire, the positions would remain the same until the finish and still remain once class handicaps applied.
- The previous week saw the Robert Shield Regatta contested at Welland YC.
Race one was won by Andy Prior, with Bell taking second place ahead of Brian Cobb. Andy Agar and Mark Schofield completed the top five.
Race two then Race two again saw Prior take the win from Bell, with those two taking first and second overall. Tack took third in this one ahead of Cobb, but the latter was third overall.
Anyone wanting to find out more about sailing should contact the club via email [email protected]
