Post date: Mar 24, 2010 10:05:53 AM
The Championships toop place over the weekend of March 20/21st in Fireflies at West Kirby Sailing Club and was won by the West Kirby Hawks comprising Dom Johnson & Debs Steele, Andy Cornah & Hamish Walker, Ben Field & Tom Foster.
The initial leagues A and B were relatively uneventful. The surprise of the Gold league (the top 5 teams from leagues A and B) was the clear defeat of West Kirby Hawks by the young Eagles team from Exeter University who eventually just missed qualifying for the semi-finals on a tie-break.
The best race of the knock-out phase (each the best of 3 races) of the event was the first semi-final between the experienced Royal Thames team led by Jon Pinner and the West Kirby Hawks. After losing the first race Royal Thames established a secure 2 3 4 position to win race 2 and then led for most of the deciding race. However, on the final leg, Andy Cornah for the Hawks managed to camp firmly on the wind of one of the Royal Thames boats and the teams crossed the finish line virtually level but with protest flags flying. The umpires penalised a Royal Thames boat for not keeping clear and Hawks scraped into the final.
In final the West Kirby first team never quite got to grips with the Hawks who decisively won the Prince Philip Trophy for the second year running.
West Kirby Hawks:- Dom Johnson & Debs Steele, Andy Cornah & Hamish Walker, Ben Field & Tom Foster
West Kirby SC (first team):- Matt Findlay & Toby Lewis, Leo Dixon & Kate Robinson, Paul Kameen & Kate McGregor
The attachment contains the final results.
Thanks to Richard Thompson for the report.