K6 Open at Aldeburgh Yacht Club
by Alex Cooper 22 May 2022 16:32 UTC
14-15 May 2022
Aldeburgh K6 Open © Robert Mulcahy / AYC
Aldeburgh Yacht Club hosted the K6 open meeting over the weekend of May 14/15 with warm south easterly F3/4 winds on the Saturday (and a more gusty easterly on Sunday). A series of six races were held in all with a very enjoyable evening supper at the club on Saturday evening when the club's caterers did the fleet proud.
On the Saturday race officer Robert Mulcahy led the fleet downriver to a point where bends in the river lined up to give a perfect windward leeward about a mile in length.
In the first race with the beat against the last of the flood tide, local champion Ian Robson crewed on this occasion by Martin Liddell led the fleet away from the start line pursued by Martin's brothers Stephen and Ian Liddell and Nick and Rob (no relation) Jones. As the race unfurled visitors Laura and Fraser Elms put their downwind speed to good use and on the second and final lap pulled through Nick and Rob to finish third behind Stephen and Ian in second and Ian & Martin taking the winning gun.
By the start of the second race the tide had turned and the beats were now a much shorter affair and the runs against the tide correspondingly longer. In both races 2 & 3 whilst Ian & Martin again led the fleet away and up the first beat Laura and Fraser used their downwind speed to pull through on the last of three laps in the second race and of two in the third to take two wins. Ian and Martin held onto finish second with Steve Liddell in third in the second and third race on Saturday.
Overnight this left Laura and Fraser and Ian & Martin tied on points but with the visitors ahead by virtue of the most firsts rule.
Unfortunately Ian's yacht cruising commitments in Scotland meant that Ian and Martin were unable to sail on Sunday so it was to be Nick Jones who fought with the Elm's for the overall honours on behalf of the home fleet on the Sunday.
A gusty Easterly on Sunday took the fleet up river towards Iken on a flooding tide where some lively racing contending with the shallows ensued.
Nick Jones & Steve Dewberry scored three bullets in the freshening breeze in 213 Galloper to take the series overall, trailed in second by the Liddell brothers & third by visitor Fraser Elms.
Breakages and a decent grounding forced the retirement of Alex Cooper on 198.
A great series of races with fantastic conditions on the Saturday and a more challenging breeze on Sunday enjoyed by all.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Boat | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Galloper | 213 | Nick Jones | Rob Jones/Steve Dewberry | AYC | 2 | ‑4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| 2nd | Tonic | 166 | Laura Elms | Fraser Elms | HISC | ‑3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 11 |
| 3rd | Yorkie | 204 | Steve Liddell | Ian Liddell | AYC | ‑4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 12 |
| 4th | Cloud Nine | 162 | Ian Robson | Martin Liddell | AYC | 1 | 2 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 19 |
| 5th | Porkies III | 198 | Alex Cooper | D.Hilling | AYC | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | (RET) | DNS | 27 |
| 6th | Overdraught | 109 | Steve Dewberry | Gary Napier | AYC | 6 | 6 | 5 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 31 |