An unusually low turnout for the final round of the IOM Winter Series at Birkenhead, partly as a result of the endless events being run around the country/district in any number of classes. Those who did show, had the lake present itself in all of its glory with sunshine and mid to top end A rig conditions blowing straight down the lake from the NorthWest.
Sixteen races were sailed with each of the 5 skippers showing form through the afternoon to take more than one win. Once again, older designs in the form of the Chris Dicks Widget and the Gary Cameron TS2 held their own when sailed to their potential, taking more than enough points from the two more modern BritPOPs. As the final scores after 3 discards reveal, it was a day for keeping fast with a flattened off rig, tacking on the shift when it presented itself and avoiding incidents.
A perfect day to end the Winter Series for 22/23 and a result that once again confirms that it ain’t about spending the most on the latest kit but practice and knowing how to get the best and use what you have that usually takes the day, and the series. A truism that has long been the Birkenhead way and most probably why the club boasts more International and National Champions than any other in recent times.
Thanks go to John Carlin for helping out with running the second half of racing and enabling a fantastic set of 16 races to be run in the afternoon.
Final Scores (16 Races/3 Discards)
1st Brad Gibson TS2 22 points
2nd Bill Culshaw BritPOP 29 points
3rd Alan Bennett BritPOP 35 points
4th Martin Roberts Widget 42 points
5th Neil Westbrook Widget 43 points
Next up for the IOMs at Birkenhead is the UK Veterans Championship on April 15th and 16th. Details on how to enter and a list of entered skippers can be seen at https://www.mya-uk.org.uk/events/#events/event-details/638b0efe7591d307868a5c3a/
Now is the time to get your entry in if you haven’t already done so.
