IOM Christmas Race 2024 at Birkenhead Radio Sailing & Power Club
by Peter Baldwin 16 Dec 10:29 UTC
IOM Christmas Race at Birkenhead © Clive Warren / Dave Williams
It was good (and unusual!) to arrive at the club with a WNW breeze already blowing straight down the lake even at 8:00, with a forecast that it would remain that way and potentially increase during the day. Race Officer Dave Williams (assisted by Clive Warren, Neil Westbrook, Judith Baldwin and young Scarlett) set out a course and got the briefing under way promptly at 10:00 for the 19 sailors who attended.
Racing then started on time at 10:15 and a sequence of four races, break four races, break, which continued all day to achieve a total of 16 races, before the 15:00 final cutoff time. We even had two sailors who travelled the furthest all the way from Glasgow; great to see such dedication.
The wind was pretty well to forecast with some meaty gusts after lunch causing occasional loss of control downwind, but it was all very short lived and everyone stayed in A rig for the whole day.
Over the day, we had six different race winners; Brad Gibson had the lions share of 8 wins, with Graham Elliott, Martin Roberts and Darin Ballington all getting two wins each, then Peter Baldwin and Simon Fairman each gaining a single win. Next we had second and third podium places from none race winners John Brierley, Derek Priestley and Pete Walters. Best placed without a podium place and most consistent over the whole day was Rob Macintosh. There were some good performances at some point during the day for a good part of the fleet, but unfortunately most were often unable to capitalise on their initial position to gain a podium spot.
Overall, a great and very competitive days sailing with very little rain and a bit of sun earlier in the day. The overall win easily went to Brad Gibson on 18 points, 21 ahead of Graham Elliott in second with Martin Roberts just 3 points adrift in third.
At the prize-giving, Brad thanked Dave and his race team helpers for running the event and achieving 16 races in a short day and for the ladies in the galley keeping us all going with hot drinks, cakes and biscuits.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Design | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | R16 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | Post PUNK | 42 | Brad Gibson | 1 | 2 | ‑5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | ‑3 | 1 | ‑5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| 2nd | BritPOP! | 9 | Graham Elliott | 2 | 6 | ‑7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | ‑9 | 4 | (DNS) | 1 | 3 | 39 |
| 3rd | BritPOP! | 127 | Martin Roberts | ‑7 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | ‑7 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ‑17 | 4 | 4 | 42 |
| 4th | BritPOP! | 98 | Darin Ballington | 3 | 5 | ‑9 | 5 | ‑18 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 4 | ‑8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 47 |
| 5th | Venti | 84 | John Brierley | ‑10 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 8 | ‑11 | 7 | 5 | ‑12 | 5 | 10 | 6 | 81 |
| 6th | V9 | 166 | Robert Mcintosh | 5 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | ‑11 | 5 | ‑9 | ‑12 | 7 | 81 |
| 7th | BritPOP! | 63 | Peter Baldwin | ‑16 | ‑11 | 1 | 10 | 2 | 9 | 10 | (DNF) | 10 | 3 | 4 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 10 | 87 |
| 8th | Dead Reckoning | 67 | Derek Priestley | 8 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 3 | ‑12 | 5 | ‑14 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 9 | (RET) | 87 |
| 9th | Venti | 65 | Peter Walters | 4 | 12 | 13 | 6 | 10 | ‑17 | 12 | 14 | ‑17 | 8 | (DNF) | 4 | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 98 |
| 10th | Alioth | 471 | Simon Fairman | 6 | 10 | ‑15 | ‑18 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 14 | 12 | ‑16 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 115 |
| 11th | Sedici | 83 | Olly Murray | 9 | 9 | 8 | ‑14 | ‑14 | 5 | 7 | 4 | ‑15 | 10 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 8 | 115 |
| 12th | Rubix | 28 | John Taylor | AVB | AVB | AVB | 11 | 8 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 12 | (DNF) | ‑17 | ‑13 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 117 |
| 13th | V11 | 45 | Paul Middleton | 11 | 4 | 10 | ‑15 | 12 | 14 | 14 | 11 | 11 | ‑15 | 6 | 7 | ‑15 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 137 |
| 14th | Combi | 30 | Roger Crates | 12 | ‑17 | 11 | ‑17 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 17 | (RET) | 156 |
| 15th | Sedici | 15 | Eric Austwick | 13 | 14 | 12 | 9 | 16 | 13 | ‑18 | (DNF) | 16 | ‑18 | 17 | 8 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 177 |
| 16th | Corbie 5 | 23 | Alan Watkinson | 15 | 13 | 16 | 16 | ‑17 | 16 | 13 | 9 | ‑19 | 16 | 10 | 15 | 11 | (DNF) | 15 | 15 | 180 |
| 17th | Lintel MMX | 16 | Guy Cowper | 14 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 10 | 14 | ‑17 | 11 | (NSC) | 17 | 16 | ‑18 | 14 | 183 |
| 18th | BritPOP! | 66 | Ted Johnston | AVB | AVB | AVB | 12 | 15 | (DNF) | 17 | 15 | 13 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 12 | (RET) | (RET) | 184.6 |
| 19th | Widget | 91 | Stan Metcalfe | AVB | 15 | 17 | ‑19 | ‑19 | 18 | ‑19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 219.9 |
