Laser Northern Grand Prix at Pilkington SC

After 53 years devoted to the Enterprise, on the 18th July, Pilkington Sailing Club held their first Laser Open. 14 competitors were greeted at Eccleston Mere with a traditional full English breakfast and a fine day with a moderate but gusty westerly breeze to deal with.

Richard Hampson, Race Officer for the day, set a zig zag course across the lake to maximise the difficult wind direction with three upwind legs, together with a committee boat start line to ensure a good first beat. To the credit of the fleet the recall flags remained furled all day, as did the black flag which threatened any misbehaviour!

The first race got underway at 11.00 and fresh from his win at PSC’s Enterprise open a few months earlier, Royston Taggart led the fleet around the first mark. Unfortunately though this was not to be Taggart’s day with gear failure resulting in his retirement from the first race and then again in the second. Ed Thomas soon took the lead and was never threatened. Tom Keegan had been battling for the other top places but a capsize and long recovery on the last lap saw his retirement. Adrian Sandilands came 2nd and Ian Lees was 3rd.

Replenished by an excellent lunch of spaghetti bolognaise, jacket potatoes and beans, followed by assorted sweets, the fleet assembled again for the second race. Positions soon became established with Thomas, Lees and Keegan leading the fleet around the course and finishing in that same order. Sandilands was 4th.

By the time the 5 minute sounded for the final race Eccleston Mere was enjoying a perfect summers afternoon. The wind remained moderate but some of the stronger shifty and gusty moments, which had many of the fleet swimming earlier in the day, were now not so aggressive. Thomas had already won the meeting and he once again led the fleet around the lake. This time though the first three positions were more contested and all were close at the finish. Thomas won again to give him a perfect score for the day with Sandilands securing another 2nd place and Keegan 3rd. Wendy Jones also had her best race finishing 4th not far off the leaders, but she was pipped into 7th place for the day by just one point by a more consistent Kaye Tickle who was the highest finishing Lady coming 6th overall.

Vice Commodore Dave Greenall did the honours at the prize giving. Ed Thomas gave the customary thanks to the organisers. Pilkingtons were delighted with the event and particularly with the quality of the field. They much look forward to hosting a similar event in 2010 and becoming a permanent feature of the NW Laser circuit for the future.

Overall Results:

1st Ed Thomas (West Lancs YC) 2pts
2nd Adrian Sandilands (Dovestone SC) 4pts
3rd Ian Lees (Dovestone SC) 5pts
4th & 1st U18, Tom Keegan (Leigh & Lowton SC) 6pts
5th David Gamble (Elton SC) 10pts