ISO Open - Glossop & District SC (5th & 6th October)
The annual trip north for the ISO fleet saw ten boats turn up at Glossop on a windy Saturday morning. With three races back to back in a gusty force 4 racing started at 1 pm. Race 1 was taken (as is becoming the norm) by Team RWO 1013, Pete Lindley& Jonny Backhouse, but with the Team Perry giving them no room for error all the way to the line. Relative new comers Larry Muir / Matt Jackson 737, leading the rest of the fleet in for 3rd place, after a testing time in the "Glossop dog leg".
With the dog leg removed for race 2 Team Perry 1192, Mike & Andrew Perry, who always sail well in a blow took full advantage of the jump start of Team RWO, to hold them off for 2nd with Team Scouse, Dave & Hazel Harrison, coming a close 3rd. With the wind gusting force 5 for race 3 Team RWO reversed the one two and got the better of The Perry's but only after Mike Perry fell over at a crucial moment. Local lads Dave Burke / Stef Lucas 682 finished 3rd.
Saturday night for most of the fleet involved beer, Italian cuisine, beer, dancing, beer, in that order, so a sunny force 3 from the East was greated with smiles by most on Sunday. Race format to be 2 early races back to back with one more in the afternoon to enable club racing to proceed. Even with the new wind direction and the dog leg back in Team RWO took full advantage of the drop in wind strength on the second lap for 1st place in race 4 with Team Perry 2nd and Burke / Lucas 3rd and Team Scouse 4th mirroring race 3 from the afternoon before. Race 5 was again won by Team RWO but local knowledge in the now fluctuating wind found a gap between RWO and Team Perry, with locals Burke & Lucas 2nd. Class chairman Bob Ladell began an Italian fed late charge for 4th. After lunch spent in the sun, and the wind now set at Force 1 / 2 the fleet returned to the water. With the top three places already decided the real fight was on for 4th place and the chance to write the race report. With fire in his belly or was it the lasagne? Bob Ladell led the race till half way down the first leeward leg when Team RWO charged past in their accustomed lead position. Burke & Lucas opened a gap in 2nd ahead of the fight for third place between Ladell / Clay, Team Perry and Team Scouse. This race order stayed the same until the last beat with Team Scouse making a late charge to nearly take 2nd from Burke & Lucas resulting in them finishing 4th overall. Ladell / Clay continued their charge with another 4th with Team Perry just behind in 5th.
Glossop this year produced some of the closest ISO racing seen for some time. Big thanks to GDSC who, as usual showed how to put on a faultless event with the minimum amount of fuss.
See you all at Datchet.
Full Results Here....
