Kippford Week 2022; Sun, Sea Breezes Inshore & Close Racing

After the busy Cadet Week at Solway Yacht Club, it was another early start for sailors in Kippford Week 2022. Unusually the sailing started on Tuesday, demanded by the tide times and as crews arrived at 8am, it was flat calm and windless. But nature did its bit and by launching time a light sea breeze and started to build and most boats were able to sail out to the start line.

After their “Look Around” news visit during Cadet Week, ITV Border television were welcomed back to cover Kippford Week for “Border Life”, due to be broadcast in three to four weeks’ time. Out in the Solway the sea breeze was weaker so the racing for the larger yachts was a very sedate affair, the TV crew enjoying a grandstand view, cruising round the beautiful surroundings in glorious sunshine aboard a RIB under engine power. Nevertheless, in the Flying fifteen keelboats, Club Commodore Scott Train and Membership Secretary, Anne Stewart won with Fiona and Gordon Blandford getting the first win in the cruisers.

Inshore where there was a little more wind, the dinghy fleet were getting first points on the board with wins for Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400) in the fast handicap fleet, Mark Lewis and Beatrice Overend (GP14 medium handicap), Simon Wilson (ILCA 6 Laser Radials) and Cadets Toby and Ida Iglehart in the Slow Handicap fleet, the brother and sister pair going on to win every race in the week. The lack of wind had delayed the offshore racing and while towing back one of the Flying Fifteens, “Alicat”, the Committee Boat, with Race Committee aboard, ran aground on the Urr estuary mud and on the falling tide got firmly stuck. This led the safety boats to the unexpected task of rescuing the Race Committee, somewhat red-faced with the alternative of several hours wait for the tide to refloat them! However, all in good humour, with “Alicat” safely recovered undamaged on the evening tide.

Wednesday and similar conditions but two races in each class, several different winners emerged. Duncan Blandford (ILCA 7 Laser full rig, fast handicap race 2), Stewart Mitchell (Finn, Fast Handicap race 3), Ian and Margaret Purkis (Firefly, Medium Handicap, race 2), Hamish and Sally Mackay (Laser 2000, race 3). The ILCA 6 Laser Radials, racing in the medium handicap fleet Ann Brining (race 2), Simon Wilson (race 3)

Not much change in the conditions for Thursday and similar results but the Mackay crew with two wins were establishing a strong series lead in the competitive medium handicap fleet.

The rest of the week saw little change in conditions with more amazing hot sunshine and sea breeze in the estuary but little wind beyond. By Saturday the wind in the Solway was weaker still with the final race for the Flying Fifteens abandoned by the Race Officer with the leading boats only twenty yards short of the finish line before the tide started to carry them back in the wrong direction.

Nevertheless, races had been successfully completed in all classes, the inshore dinghy racing fleet managing all eight of the planned programme, a credit to Lindsay Tosh and Willie Patterson, the Race Officers. Special mention and thanks go to Colin Stewart and Duncan Gillespie, the Race Officers for the larger yachts who’d had to step in for the planned officer, who’d suffered enforced unavailability the day before. Thanks, as well to Richard Bishop and his team of Safety Boat crews, Pier Master Gordon Daly and to Liz Train and Murray Tosh with their great team of galley and bar volunteers.

Before the main prize-giving, there was some unfinished business from Cadet Week. Unfortunately, the wrong PN handicap number had been used in calculating the slow handicap fleet result, wrongly awarding the winner’s trophy and prize to young Oliver Bennet. This had to be corrected and showing great maturity, Oliver immediately returned his awards and made sure the true winner, Toby Iglehart was the recipient. The Committee was so impressed that a new “SYC Sportsmanship Trophy”, presented by Heather Dodds, herself a former Kippford Flying Fifteen crew, was awarded to Oliver, him becoming its first ever recipient. His example truly sets the standard and in time, the trophy will be awarded to others who demonstrate outstanding sportsmanship.

Kippford Week Overall Results:

Fast Handicap Fleet

1^st Stewart Mitchell (Finn)

2^nd Duncan Blandford (ILCA 7 Laser)

3^rd Ian Holden and Nicola Nelson (RS400)

4^th Keith Veasey (Finn)

5^th Rhys Williams (ILCA 7 Laser)

6^th Simon Roberts (ILCA 7 Laser)

7^th Graham Young (RS Aero 7)

8^th Katie Bishop and Nicola McColm (RS400)

9^th Ellie Young and Claire Stewart (RS200)

10^th Jack Jardine and James Kelly (Fireball)

11^th Mhairi MacDonald and Ben Townsend (Bahia)

12^th James Bishop and Alex Lammie (Fireball)

13^th Ellie Rowand and Lilli Bell (Fireball)

14^th Finlay Train and Hannah Davison (Tasar)

15^th Matthew Murray-Downing (Contender)

Medium Handicap Fleet (racing with Laser Radials)

1^st Hamish and Sally Mackay (Laser 2000)

2^nd Mark Lewis and Beatrice Overend (GP14)

3^rd John Broadbent and Anne Craddock (GP14)

4^th Ian & Margaret Purkis (Firefly)

5^th Emily Biggar and Lewis Alexander (420)

6^th Stewart Biggar (Laser 4.7)

Laser Radials:

1^st Simon Wilson

2^nd Ann Brining

3^rd Hamish MacDonald

4^th Philip Brining

5^th Anna Griffin

6^th Katherine Kelly

7^th Emma Lane

Slow Handicap Fleet

1^st Toby & Ida Iglehart (RS Feva XL)

2^nd Tamsin Wallace and Elise Reilly (RS Feva XL)

3^rd Mollie Keiley and Lucy Leyshon (RS Feva XL)

4^th James Colbeck (Topper)

Flying Fifteens

1^st Scott Train and Anne Stewart

2^nd Chris Taylor and Steve Gaughan

3^rd Andrew Johnston and Anna Grafton

4^th Jim Holland and Ian Murgatroyd

5^th Peter Hammond and John Sproat

Cruisers

1^st Fiona and Gordon Blandford (Delphia New Classic)

2^nd Angus Campbell and David Harding (Hawk 20)

3^rd John Searle and Gareth Jones (Pegasus 800)

4^th Robert Dinwiddie and David Wood (Hunter 20)