Brian Cobb picked up the first silverware of the season at Welland Yacht Club as he won the Robert Creek Shield on Sunday.
Having switched the season’s opening regatta from Easter Sunday to last weekend, eight competitors in seven boats took to the water for the event.
With light rain and not much wind, race one got under way with the pairing of Will Cook and crew Emma Hill getting the timing to the line just right to give their Scorpion the early lead.
They were closely followed by Paul Burton, Christopher Seaborn, Connor Clarke, Mark Holland, Brian Cobb and Lucy Burton.
Paul Burton would round the first mark ahead of Cobb in second and then the Cook and Hill combination.
As the fleet then headed up river, Cobb took the lead with Cook and Hill second – now with their spinnaker set to make the most of what little wind there was.
With Paul Burton retiring after the first of two laps of the course, the order on the water remained the same up until the finishing line.
Once handicaps applied Brian Cobb would take the win from Holland in second, with Cook and Hill third.
Race two saw the fleet drop down to five boats, with the cold getting the better of two competitors.
Again, all boats got under way without incident and headed for the first mark.
Cook and Hill reached it first, with Burton and Cobb challenging to be second around, followed by Holland then Seaborn.
Burton was forced to retire after the first lap and the wind disappeared by the end of the race, setting the stage again for Cobb to take the win from Holland, Seaborn and the Cook and Hill combo.
With the rain coming down harder following the race and the wind all but gone, race three was cancelled – ensuring Cobb took the title.
- The first block of junior sailing starts on Sunday at a cost of £12 for the block of six dates.
Anyone wanting to find out more about sailing should contact the club via email [email protected].
