SAILING: THE points series at Gresford Flash started on Sunday and the weather was perfect with sunshine and a moderate breeze from the southeast.
The first race was a handicap, with five different classes of boat taking part. Nick and Hannah Blore, both sailing Solos, had a close race at the front of the fleet with positions changing all the time.
The GP14 of Trevor Ward and his crew were never very far behind, but the Mirror of David and Zara Turtle, who were seventh to finish on the water, used their spinnaker to good effect to take top spot when the handicap was applied. Nick Blore finished in second place, closely followed by his daughter Hannah. Ward came a close fourth.
The second race was a class race and David and Zara Turtle won the Mirror class with ease.
Hannah Blore won the Solos after strong competition from Steve Price and Nick Blore, who finished second and third respectively.
Merle Cook, with crew David Gray, fought off the attention of Ward to come first in the GP class and Harry Bainbridge won the Enterprise class.
Race three of the afternoon was back to handicap racing. The start line was busy and Nick Blore hit the limit marker buoy and had to do a penalty turn, leaving Hannah Blore to establish a good lead, which she held on to at the finish when coming home some two minutes ahead of Ward in his GP. Bainbridge was a close third after reading the wind shifts to his advantage.
Sunday morning's single-handed series was well supported, with David Turtle winning the first race in his Solo, and Hannah Blore, also in a Solo, taking first place in the second race of the morning.
On Wednesday last week, sailors did battle against the handicapper in the first of the individual handicap series. The breeze was light and from the north-west, not the best direction for sailors on the Flash.
David Hopkins, GP, led until the penultimate leg of the race, but Nick Blore, with crew John Glover, were gaining a position on each lap and by the time the 50-minute race came to an end, Blore was in top spot with Hopkins second. Tomos Price had a steady race to finish third.
