1999 First UK Open and Ranking event, Blue Circle SC

Nineteen Snipe crews descended on Blue Cirlce SC on 8-9 May for the first Open and ranking event of the UK calendar. Winds on Saturday were a blustery 4-5. Race Officer Derrick Crouch set Olympic Triangle courses throughout.

In the first race, Iain and Phil Marshall led until their shroud pin failed causing severe sideways mast bend. Incredibly, they managed straighten and recover while afloat, but in dropping to third, they gifted first place to Richard Lambert and Matthew Williams. Alan Williams and Liz Crouch were second.

In the second race the wind increased and this suited Mark Antonelli and Matthew Silver who briefly led before dropping to second behind the Marshalls. Belgium's Ben Van Cauwenburgh and Nadia Deferrm were third. Their were several capsizes and Crouch delayed the next start. When the third race got under way, Van Cauwenburgh revelled in the moderate wind and won comfortably ahead of Lambert. Brian and Ian Gregory sailed well to claim third.

The wind moderated even more on Sunday for the fourth race and swung further south, allowing Crouch to set a longer windward leg over the narrow lake. Van Cauwenburgh, a former Belgian National Champion eventually prevailed over Lambert. New pairing Chris Surridge and Peter Wolstenholme took third place.

The Marshalls won the fifth race after a protracted tussle with Van Cauwenburgh. Lambert was third and Alan and Jent Hoy sailed to a consistent fourth. Van Cauwenburgh blistered away to take the final two races and the trophy with plenty to spare.

--Richard Lambert

Overall Results:

1st  BEL 28831  B Van Cauwenburgh/Nadia Deferrm  RYCB                5pts
2nd  GBR 23980  R Lambert/M Williams             Blue Circle SC      8.75
3rd  GBR 29501  I Marshall/P Marshall            Maldon YC           11.5
4th  GBR 29164  A Williams/E Crouch              Budworth SC         23
5th  GBR 29408  A Hoy/J Hoy                      Maldon YC           26
6th  GBR 28451  B Gregory/I Gregory              Blue Circle SC      28
7th  GBR 20323  M Antonelli/M Silver/C Candish   Budworth SC         32
8th  GBR 28398  C Surridge/P Wolstenholme        RYA                 33
9th  GBR 28945  A Thomas/E Thomas                Cowes Corinthian YC 35
10th GBR 27871  J Simpson/J Williams/J Desmond   Maldon YC           39
11th GBR 20557  D Jones/M Janman                 Blue Circle SC      47
12th GBR 27329  J White/G Hoy                    Maldon YC           51
13th GBR 24152  H Sadzik/A Francis               Blue Circle SC      61
14th GBR 15602  I Knight/D Knight                Maldon YC           65
15th GBR 23003  I Varney/K Varney                Maldon YC           76
16th GBR 18860  R Taylor/L Foster                Maldon YC           86
17th=GBR 21652  P Frost/G Frost                  Blue Circle SC      88
17th=GBR 24705  N Lett/C Candish                 Blue Circle SC      88
19th GBR 26090  G Campbell/J Desmond             Blue Circle SC      94       
     

Boat Specs:            Hull                 Mast            Sails

1. Van Cauwenburgh     Persson (Den)        Sidewinder      North
2. Lambert             Martin Skipper(UK)   Holt-Allen      North Argentina
3. Marshall            Devoti               Proctor Vectis  North San Diego
4. Williams            Devoti               Holt-Allen      Hyde
5. Hoy                 Devoti               Proctor Miracle Sobstad
6. Gregory             Persson              Holt-Allen      Hood San Pedro


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