Category: iom

Another great day for IOM racing at Gautby Road with a light to moderate A rig breeze from the clubhouse end that was for most of the afternoon straight down the lake combined with warm sunshine.  We had 14 boats out  consisting of 12 home boats and two visitors, but this made for a very strong fleet made up of several past National and World/European champions.

The first session of seven races belonged to Brad, who took four of those races with the other winners being Rob Walsh and Robbie Mac. These three also figured highly in the other podium positions, with Peter Baldwin gaining a second and Martin Roberts and Paul Plested also picking up a third place.  Special mention must go to our youngest sailor (by a long way today) George Bennett, who held onto a well deserved fourth place in race 6 and then going one better for a third in race 7.

After the break, there were a number of new race winners, with Peter picking up two and one each for Paul, Graham Elliott, Alan Bennett and Martin Roberts.  The podium positions were also spread around a little more as well, with the race winners also joined by Brad, Rob W and Bill Culshaw with George also picked up a fifth in this session to add to his earler third and fourth.

At the end with 13 races sailed at a good pace, Brad took the afternoon with Rob Walsh second and Peter Baldwin third after a better second session.  In this fleet (and wind) it was hard to be consistent.  Getting off the start in clear wind was usually the key, but having a bit of luck with the shifts also came into it.

Many thanks to our RO’s for the afternoon, Dave Williams and Neil Westbrook.  A number of OCS calls (one number figuring several times!) and sevaral general recalls with everyone trying to get the extra edge at the start.  Photos courtesy Dave Williams.

Our next IOM racing is on Saturday 31st May which is the Jack Turner Trophy day combined with Summer series #4.  Club member Jack “you’re all good skippers” Turner who helped run our racing for a good number of years sadly passed away late last year.  This annual event is being held in his memory.  Entries and more information via the link below – racing start time is 10:00.

https://birkenheadrspc.co.uk/iom-open-summer-2025-4-2/

A total of eleven skippers turned out for round 2 of the Summer Series with a surprise visit from Olly Murray of Fleetwood collecting a rig for the M Worlds next week.  After a good breeze straight down the lake in the morning for the DF95’s, it initially looked as if there was going to be little wind for this afternoon session.  However, as the fleet started the first race (and after a general recall) under the watchful eye of RO Neil Westbrook, the breeze restablished itself staright down the lake for the first few races.

The first race was a close battle between Robbie, Martin and Peter, with Robbie gifting the win to Peter after taking the wrong gate mark with Brad coming through to third.  Brad then had a string of three firsts, with Martin, Olly, Graham and Robbie all taking podium positions.  During Race 4 the breeze started to switch to the South, with beats becoming a reach at times and for the final beat into the finish, the breeze all but disappeared (and turned into a run!), returning as a light Westerly sea breeze.

The course was then switch around and the rest of the day was sailed with a Westerly that continued to create some close racing in  Race 5, with Peter gaining his second win of the day with Graham and Robbie following him home.  In the final race before a mid-session break, Martin was in top spot, followed by Brad and Robbie.

We resumed again after the break with the breeze holding up and a decent pace to the races kept up by Neil.  Unfortunately, there were some position “snakes” to catch out most sailors over the next 4 races with accumulated bags and other debris from the Easterly breeze now making its way back down the lake.  Getting in a groove behind another boat was a possible but tricky answer, along with a quick change to sail backwards if you slowed in the middle of the lake and try to shed the obstacle.

Brad took another two wins in the final four races, with Robbie Mac getting in the groove and taking the other two.  The minor places were spread through 6 of the eleven sailors including a second for Olly, with Noah keeping pace with this strong fleet and managing a great 4th in Race seven.  Alan also let the boat loose in this second half and had some good placings along with Phyl who is getting to grips with boat control and picked up a seventh in Race 9.

We called a halt at 4:30 and ten races, with the breeze dropping.  Probably a good job, because as we left the club a short while later, light rain had set in and the breeze had all but disappeared.

Brad took the afternoon quite comfortably, with Martin in second and Robbie Mac only just behind in third. Thanks to Neil and his several assistants for running the racing and also Malcolm, John Beech and Paul Plested for the photos.

The next event in the Summer Series is #3 on Saturday 10th May, followed by the Jack Turner Memorial Race on Saturday 31st May (a whole day open event).  Entry via the following links:

https://birkenheadrspc.co.uk/iom-summer-2025-3/

https://birkenheadrspc.co.uk/iom-open-summer-2025-4-2/

Glorious sun and wind at Gautby Road for our 12 skippers. Great to see a few guests travelling to join in.

The wind was quite an unusual one for Birkenhead, predominantly down Gautby Road but with some cruel shifts if you got on the wrong side of them but hero shifts if you got on the correct side of them, nice top end of A rig with some nosediving in the first 6 races before tea.

It was Brad that showed early pace, taking out the first two races and Alan also showing us some great speed in these races with a third and fourth, unfortunately Josh, sailing Pop, missed the first race with a temperamental knob, on his transmitter which was quickly fixed with a bit of fiddling.

Race positions throughout the day switched very quickly due to the shifts but it was Brad who stayed consistently in front, winning 8 in the end. Martin had a better last 6 races that included a string of seconds, probably due to him growing into his new sailing glasses. Andrea should have won race 10, but in the excitement and concentration she unfortunately forgot to finish but still managed a third.

There was also a great battle all afternoon between Andy, Phil and John, I am sure they enjoyed their afternoons sailing.

Race winners included, Brad, Rob, Graham, Simon and Josh.

Many thanks to Neil and Dave (who also took the photos) for starting and finishing us and good luck to all Birkenhead skippers at next week’s ranking weekend in Scarborough.

1. Brad Gibson          42   Post PUNK    13pts
2. Graham Elliott     09   BritPOP!        31pts
3. Martin Roberts   168  BritPOP!        35pts
4. Simon Fairman    71   Alioth             40pts
5. Andrea Roberts   127  BritPOP!       43pts
6. Josh King                 26  POP!               46pts
7. Rob Macintosh      66  V9                   50pts
8. Alan Watkinson    23  Corbie 5         77pts 1x3rd
9. Graham Birkett   133  Widget           77pts
10. Andy Backhouse 142  Widget           97pts
11. Phyl Fanning         37   Lintel           106pts
12. John Beech           139   Gadget         109pts

We were promised a decent 9 or 10 mph breeze from the West by 12:00 or soon after and the day lived up to the promise with plenty of sunshine and a breeze that was close to straight down the lake, with gusts, lulls and shifts galore to make gains (and for some therefore losses) around the course.

There were 15 entries for this week after losing one entry at the last minute, which included our two Junior members going head to head again.  A course was set with a shortened windward leg for the two Juniors and the two adult beginners allowing everyone to finish much more together.  The first race saw Brad take the win from Noah (on only his second time out in an IOM club race) with Alan Bennett beating son George to take third and fourth respectively.  After this first race, George got into his stride and took wins in each of the next five races before the break.  This left space for a variety of sailors to pick up the podium positions includng two seconds and a third for Noah, a similar clutch for Brad, and then a great second for Phyl on only his second outing in the IOM.  Also taking thirds were Graham Brkett, Graham Elliott and Andrea.

After the break, the course was made a little more testing for those on a handicap with the first beat to the shorter windward mark, followed by a full length beat on the second.  Even so, young George had a great set of results counting two seconds and two thirds from the six races, with some very close finishes which could easily have meant an even better placing.  Brad had a consistent second half with three wins and a third, the other wins being taken by Peter, Graham E and the final race by Martin.  This small group also picked up the other podium places with Andrea, Robbie Mac and Graham B being in close contention.

Overall, a great afternoon of sailing with close to “Champagne Sailing” at Gautby Road, especially after all the recent cold weather.  Even more so, was the day fittied in between two storms on Friday and Sunday that would have proved testing for sailing with an “over the houses” close to gale force Southerly.

George took the afternoon after the string of firsts in the first session, with Brad close behind and Graham E, a number of points adrift in third.  The handicap course with a shorter first leg seemed to work well in keeping the fleet in closer contact for most of the race and one likely to be repeated in future weeks.  Thanks must go to our Race Team of Dave Williams, Neil Westbrook and John Beech and also for the photos from Dave and John.  A few more photos can be seen in the Gallery.

Round #5 of the IOM Winter series takes place on Saturday 8th March, starting at 12:00, just one week before the first Ranking weekend taking place on 15th & 16th March.

1. George Bennett           BritPOP!     19pts
2. Brad Gibson                  PostPUNK  22pts
3. Graham Elliott            BritPOP!      40pts
4. Peter Baldwin              BritPOP!      46pts
5. Martin Roberts            BritPOP!     48pts
6. Rob Macintosh            V9                  61pts
7. Noah Macintosh         A2                  62pts
8. Andrea Roberts           BritPOP!     63pts
9. Phyl Fanning                Lintel          82pts  1x2nd
10. Graham Birkett           Widget        82pts  1x3rd
11. Alan Bennett                BritPOP!    106pts  1x3rd
12. Alan Watkinson          Corbie 5     106pts
13. John Berry                    Lintel           121pts
14. Charles Legg               Kantun 2     123pts
15. Stan Metcalf                Widget        126pts