SSC -

Southport Sailing Club Junior 12 Hour Race

- 2010 -

The 2010 race started with three fleets of dinghies; fourteen Enterprise, twelve GP14 and five Bosun, making up the thirty-one entrants, drawn from most counties in the midlands and the north of England. This years entry has been the highest number of entrants in the entire twenty-five year history of the event.

The usual triangular course was in use and although the forecast had been for a two mph wind in the early morning, the race started on time at 0800 hrs with one minute intervals between the fleets, in a fifteen mph easterly. This meant a start on a reach to mark one and a beat up to mark two, allowing the GP14s a long spinnaker reach between marks two and three.

West Lancashire Yacht Club, sailing an Enterprise, immediately stamped their mark on the race by winning the two trophies for the fastest first two laps, and again at the end of the race when they were also awarded the ‘Final Fling Trophy’ for the fastest last two laps.

South Staffs SC, last years winner, enjoyed a good day. Their ‘A’ team in a GP14 winning four trophies, the ‘McDonald Cup’ for the second overall position having completed fifty-six laps, the same number as the overall winner but with an average lap time of 0.08 seconds greater, the trophy for the first GP14, the ‘Booker Trophy’ for the first under eighteen team and the ‘McDonald’s Ladies Trophy’, while their ‘B’ team also sailing a GP14 carried off the trophy for the third placed under eighteen team and the ‘Under Fourteen Trophy’.

The superb weather brought out the spectators onto the veranda, patio and grassed areas in force, many having brought their own folding chairs and gazebos and thankfully only one or two with Vuvuzalas.

By late morning the wind had veered ninety degrees, turning the leg between marks three and one into a long beat with a spinnaker run between mark one and three. This seemed to favour the GP14s since both noon races, the ‘North West Sailboat Trophy’ won by Bolton SC and the ‘Sandgrounder Trophy’ won by Fidlers Ferry SC were won in GP14s.

By mid afternoon the wind had totally reversed and was now off the sea.

The only protest of the day was disallowed for technical reasons, but several boats were penalised for leaving the docking area incorrectly and failing to unwind. A few teams were awarded quarter lap penalties when they were observed to hit marks but failed to record this, possibly hoping
that no-one would notice and one team was penalised for sculling. However it should be noted that none of the teams in the top eight places received penalties.

The second placed under eighteen team Chester Sailing & Canoe Club also won the ‘Last Gasp Trophy’ for the fastest last two laps sailed by an under eighteen team.

Etherow SC won the ‘Lake Licencee’s Cup’ for the third overall place, beating the host team Southport SC into fourth place who were awarded
the ‘McDonald Plate’. Southport narrowly beat Pilkington SC into fifth position.

The first of the five Bosuns was the Sandbach School entry winning the ‘Simon Dawkins Trophy’.

During the day the wind held between fifteen mph and ten mph however in the last hour of the race dropped dramatically thus increasing lap times.

The overall winner was an Enterprise sailed by West Lancashire Yacht Club completing fifty-six laps, who in addition to the trophies mentioned above were awarded the ‘Southport Sailing Club Junior 12 Hour Race Championship Trophy’ and the trophy for the first Enterprise. WLYC also had the best aggregate results over the last three years.

Because of the high temperature in the club lounge the prize giving was held in the open air. The spectators were addressed by the Southport SC Commodore, who congratulated the sailors on their performance and thanked the SSC members for volunteering their help and in making the event a success, and also thanking our sponsors for their support.

W.B.

Click here for photos of the race

Full Results Can Be Found Here