Van Haren first over line but Cox takes honours

Sunday saw the third and fourth races in the Frostbite series at the Welland Yacht Club.
After the previous night’s club presentation, eight boats made the start line, including two sailors new to the race scene, Adam Stabler in a Solo and his son William in a club Topper dinghy.
Disappointingly, the wind did not show up and the forecast was not for a lot of improvement later in the day. What little breeze there was gave the boats a long port and short starboard tack and it was Gerri van Haren in the Phantom, with the largest sail area, that made the best start and he was clear from the off.
The boats following on the same tack of Mark Scourfield in the Solo, Alan Cox in the full-rig Laser, Richard Stedman in the Comet, Alistair Mitchell in the full rig Laser, Helen Boyd in a Solo, Adam Stabler and his son.
With the wind being so light, boat places changed regularly behind van Haren with Cox making the best progress, along with Alan Chapman, Stedman and Scourfield exchanging tacks and places. Stedman made his way forward in the conditions that really suited him and the Comet.
At Shellys Bush Corner it became more of an equal beat as the direction of the river changed and, with the turning buoy just around the next corner, van Haren managed to extend his lead. Once round the buoy on the run back to the clubhouse, Cox, Chapman, Scourfield and Stedman tried to stay in touch. Rounding the buoy they were sent round for the second lap but the remaining boats of Boyd, Adam and William Stabler were finished on the one lap.
After just over an hour sailing, van Haren crossed the line first, followed by Cox, Chapman, Scourfield and Stedman. After handicaps were applied, it was Cox who came out on top, by just under a minute from van Haren, with Stedman third.
With the course length shortened for the second of the day’s races, eight boats again started but with William Stabler sitting it out and Sandor Kecskemeti in the full rig Laser making a welcome return to racing.
The start followed the same pattern with the longer port tack being favourite and van Haren again judged this perfectly and was clear away from Cox, Kecskemeti, Chapman, Scourfield , Stedman, Boyd and Adam Stabler.
Clear air was the secret and van Haren pulled out his lead as the wind started to increase slightly, giving the sailors a bit more encouragement and a chance to keep warm but still not enough to sit out on the boat.
The race gave some interesting battles round the course and Boyd and Kecskemeti were in close proximity right up to the finish line. The breeze came and went and, although the order of boats did not change, the distance between them did, which is important on the finishing times when handicaps are worked out.
Again van Haren in the Phantom crossed the line first, a minute ahead of Cox with Scourfield just getting in ahead of Chapman, with Stedman, Kecskemeti just ahead of Boyd and followed by Stabler.
After the handicaps were applied, it was Cox who was first again, 41 seconds ahead of van Haren who led Scourfield by four seconds. Stedman was a further 20 seconds adrift.