Sailing: Worth the wait

IT HAS been more than 25 years since she last won the competition, but Ely Sailing Club's Susie Sallis can celebrate winning the Ladies Plate.

Conditions were perfect for the event at Roswell Pits and Susie took advantage to win two races and lift the plate for the first time since 1980.

Three handicap races were scheduled to take place and helms were to count their best two results.

Esme Wright and Eleanor Grace, both 10, and Molly Wright, eight, recently completed a beginners course in a Topper and enjoyed their first race.

In the first race Susie, in a Laser, led at the first mark and maintained her lead from Marie Brown, crewed by club instructor Alayne Seymour sailing an Enterprise.

Susie, on corrected time, retained her line honours by 54 seconds.

In the second race Marie led at the first mark and it took Susie some time to respond.

But she came back strongly and crossed the line five seconds ahead to win her second race and win the trophy.

Third was Liz Partridge, in a Laser, and fourth Sarah and Charlotte Allen in a Mirror.

The wind proved to be the biggest obstacle in the under-16s Cadet Trophy but 14-year-old Martin Mills, sailing a Topper, won all three races to win the trophy for the first time. Jack Cammann, 11, picked up two second places to finish second overall while Joel Haines, 13, was third after second and third place finishes.

Andrew Cotterill, racing on the eve of his 12th birthday, finished fourth and Matthew Wellbeloved, nine, was fifth.

Three husband and wife pairs competed in Enterprises for the Bob Utteridge Partners Trophy.

After a competitive contest, Eric and Clare Christian won both races to win the trophy. Hugh and Robbie Marshall finished second and Denis and Dorothy Copsey were third.

The unpredictable wind caused problems for the sailors in two handicap races. The solo helms took the first three places on corrected time.

Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown, who had taken line honours, finished fifth.

The dying wind brought an early end to the second race and only four of the 10 starters finished.

Results - first handicap race: 1 Alex Tory, 2 Niall Pearcey, 3 Gary Ungless. Second handicap race: 1 Gary Ungless, 2 Eric Christan, 3 John Cant, 4 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown. First Enterprise class race: 1 John and Charlotte Wells, 2 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown, 3 Denis Copsey and Mike Dawson. Race two: 1 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown. First Solo class race: 1 Alex Tory, 2 Gary Ungless, 3 Niall Pearcey. Race Two: 1 Gary Ungless. Laser class race one: 1 John Cant, 2 Sean Scott. Race two: 1 John Cant. Comet class race one: 1 Eric Christan, 2 Clare Christan. Race two: 1 Eric Christan. Pico class race: 1 Lawrence Perkins.

The previous week's racing was equally close and the wind was just as testing.

In the first race, Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown lost their line honour to Gary Ungless by 23 seconds. The Solo of Alan White also displaced Hugh and Robbie Marshall on corrected time.

There were eight Solos in the class race but Gary Ungless pulled out a substantial lead, leaving the others to compete for the minor places.

The second handicap fleet increased to 14 boats and Denis Copsey, sailing his Enterprise single handed, pulled out a good lead but this was not sufficient to keep his line honours and he finished fifth on corrected time. The honours went to Gary Ungless, giving him a clean sweep of wins for the afternoon.

Results - first handicap race (10 boats): 1 Gary Ungless, 2 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown, 3 Alan White. Second handicap race (14 boats): 1 Gary Ungless, 2 Niall Pearcey, 3 Alan White. Enterprise class (3 boats) race one: 1 Hugh and Robbie Marshall, 2 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown, 3 Denis Copsey and Jordan Williams.

Race two: 1 Hugh and Robbie Marshall, 2. Denis Copsey (s/h), 3 Bob Utteridge and Marie Brown. Laser class (3 boats) race one: 1 John Cant, 2 Martin Mills, 3 Phil Hardy. Race two: 1 John Cant, 2 Phil Hardy, 3 Martin Mills. Solo class (8 boats) races one and two: 1 Gary Ungless, 2 Niall Pearcey, 3 Alan White.