Sunday saw the second weekend of the Frostbite series at Welland Yacht Club and a slightly depleted fleet of six boats were at the start.
The water level was significantly down because the Environment Agency was expecting a rise after recent rains and there was quite a flow of water for the boats to contend with. Gusts coming over the club also caused some wind shadows rounding the first mark.
Richard Stedman, in the Comet, Adam Stabler, in the full rig Laser, and Mark Scourfield, in the Solo, judged things best, followed by Andy Agar, in the OK, Alastair Mitchell, in the Laser Radial, and Jorrit Schrauwers and James Ramp, in the Kestrel.
Scourfield rounded first, followed by Stabler and Stedman and as the other boats attempted to get to the mark the strength of the flow took the buoy away from them, making a interesting rounding and a longer course.
On the off-wind leg to no.4 buoy, Scourfield and Stabler pulled away as they passed Shelly’s Bush Corner. With the Kestrel now mastering the spinnaker hoist and flying, that allowed them to make up ground and by Chilver’s Corner they were up with the front two boats. However, as they rounded the corner, they caught a gust, which forced the boat to embed itself in the bank.
Scourfield rounded first followed by Stabler, Agar, Mitchell, Stedman and Schrauwers and Ramp who got the Kestrel off the bank.
The return to the club meant a beat most of the way and the positions were held on this and on the second lap.
The wind had picked up to provide some interesting periods of sailing but all boats got round without anyone taking a swim. Handicaps after an hour of racing saw Scourfield maintain first place ahead of Stabler, Mitchell, Agar, Stedman and Schrauwers and Ramp.
Race two saw Agar and Stabler judge the start well and they rounded in front of Scourfield and Stedman, Mitchell and Schrauwers and Ramp. With the clubhouse providing a wind shadow, the chasing boats bunched up and on the run to no.4 buoy the Kestrel of Schrauwers and Ramp used their larger sail area to overtake Stabler, Agar and Scourfield.
Stabler, having rights, rounded just ahead of Agar, followed by Scourfield and as the Kestrel struggled on the first few tacks all three boats overtook them.
Agar pulled out a lead from Stabler and Scourfield and as these three approached no.1 buoy Agar went aground in light winds and never fully recovered, allowing Stabler and Scourfield to pass.
Stabler pulled away and his lead was never threatened, crossing the line first, followed by Scourfield, Mitchell, Agar, Schrauwers and Ramp and Stedman.
The first three were unchanged on handicap.
