| West Lancs 24 hour race |
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Team WRSC competed in the 42nd twenty-four race hosted by West Lancashire Yacht Club, Southport over the weekend of 13th & 14th September. With extremely light winds the team gained 17th place adding to the most successful period in the club’s unbroken history with the 24 hour race. To add to the success Team WRSC won the prize for the fastest club from Yorkshire.
You can see the photos in the Club News Gallery or read their exclusive blog here…
The Bloggers 11.30 – 15:14 Hamish Gledhill (HG) & Rachel Gledhill (RG) 15:15 – 18:32 Jonathan Gledhill (JG) & James Porter (JP) 18:32 – 21:46 Tim Keighley (TK) & Abi Morgan (AM) 21:26 – 00:42 Peter Keighley (PK) & Owyn Wallace (OW) 00:42 – 03:34 Hamish Gledhill (HG) & Rachel Gledhill (RG) 03:34 – 06:37 Jonathan Gledhill (JG) & James Porter (JP) 06:37 – 09:14 Tim Keighley (TK) & Abi Morgan (AM) 09:14 – 12:08 Peter Keighley (PK) & Owyn Wallace (OW) 12/09/08 20:30 HG & JG arrive at Southport having beaten the rain that has followed them across from Yorkshire. It is pitch black and finding a space for the boat, team tent and car proves difficult. 20:55 As a plot for the tent near the waterfront is found, albeit behind a row of GP’s, TK arrives. TK is jubilant, as he has persuaded his brother PK to help fill the missing slot. Beers are handed out and the tent is pitched. Plans are made to hit the town for some fish & chips. 21:45 Back at West Lancs Yacht Club JG, HG & TK try their first pint of Cains. PK phones to announce his arrival and TK disappears to help him put his tent up and give him a brotherly hug. 22:20 PK luckily has left his mankini at home but has remembered his shorts and T shirt to sail in. The four enter the marquee, order some Cains and bid a hasty retreat, feeling middle aged. They retire to the bench outside the old bar and watch the world go by. 22:45 A serious bit now as HG decides it’s time to write a new rota to include PK. With a scratty piece of paper from the bar, he produces two scenarios depending on wind conditions. After much hilarity, the paper is carefully scrunched up and put in his back pocket never to be seen again. 23:00 The team enter the marquee and find it less daunting than before. The DJ announces that the music will end at midnight, and the four breath a sigh of relief safe in the knowledge that they can have an early night. 23:02 The DJ was joking as he announces the party will end at 2.00am. The team hastily decide that there is no point going to bed as the music will keep them awake, so decide to battle it on until the end. 13/09/08 Race Day 00:45 HG is accosted by big hug from his number one fan who says “I know you, you won the Lasers at Abersoch…and didn’t you also sail a RS 200?” “400 actually” HG replied, “and he” pointing to PK “was second. Are you stalking me?” Well she has no interest in PK and is in tears that HG had accused her of stalking him. As PK, TK & JG cry with laughter, the stalker cries as HG tries to console her. 01:50 The team are fairly mellow until TK suddenly leapt up and pogo danced his way around the dance floor to ‘I Predict A Riot’. Unbelievable! 02:00 The marquee shuts and the four head to their respective tents and cars. 08:20 HG is awoken to “Who put that tent there?” Inadvertently he is pitched within Budworth SC’s encampment, much to their disgust. 08:25 TK & PK arrive in the marquee for breakfast and text JG & HG to join them. 08:35All four tuck into their bacon butties. 08:55After some more comments from Budworth, the tent is hastily unpitched and moved to a temporary location until a waterfront plot can be found. 09:00 Pre race preparations begin with HG & PK putting the mast up. After three attempts, it was in the right way. JG went to sign on and returned moaning that one of the numbers had still to be made up. TK had his head in the boat, threading the halyards and was very quiet. JG started to put the numbers on the boat and also became quiet. 09:20 JP & OW arrived and wondered what had happened to the other four to induce them into such a lethargic state. The word Cains was uttered and all became clear. JG, HG, TK & PK embarked on an intense rehydration programme. They then commenced on a series of runs to the nearest portaloo. 10:20 RG arrives asking where HG was and is told it is probably best not to ask. At the same time, HG’s stalker walks past the boat obviously looking for him. 11.20 Slight panic as the main halyard jams with the main not quite up. With a bit of weight from JG finally it is unstuck and hoisted to the top. The boat is rigged, halyards taped and launched. 11:25 One of the other teams, who TK recognises as being made up nearly exclusively of ex national and world champions, is next to the boat. One of their WAGS comments on how battered our boat looks and then to her team member questioned the need for a new boat. It was then pointed out by another of their team, that although ours was battered we had beaten them last year! 11:30 HG & RG Launch and start their pre start manoeuvres. JG JP TK OW & PK go to find a new location for the tent. 11:35 Panic as the boat returns to shore but only because HG was finding somewhere to go. 12:01 Team WRSC is off!!! 12:20 The first club to be penalised for roll tacking is announced. Snipers are camping on the islands and around the shore to catch the unsuspecting cheats. 12:35 WRSC is 11th fastest after two laps. 13:30 WLYC posts first results, WRSC 4th. 13:58 HG has a problem, after all his rehydration he has to dehydrate. He chooses the only place where he wasn’t on a beat and where there were no boats coming towards him. In the manner of a true professional, he passed the clubhouse, politely relieving himself towards the islands, much to the amusement of the spectators. 14:10 Realising the rehydration requirements of the other helms OW embarks on a mission to Morrison’s for water and cakes. Being the model athlete, he shuns the 20 minute walk and borrows JP’s car. 14:30 HG is suffering, it’s hot, his head is pounding, he’s dehydrating and the sun has positioned itself right next to the genoa at the same height as the tell tales. 15:14 The wind is starting to drop and laps have nearly doubled in time to 30 minutes. HG & RG are looking forward to their last lap, and enter the dock in 12th place. 15: 44 JG & JP take over, JP in his first ever Southport and only second ever GP outing. 16:00 HG has taken to his bed in a tent with the temperature at 45degrees, surrounded by lots of noisy people, cuddling a bottle of water. 16:05 Not phased by their new pairing, JG & JP put in some quick 20 min laps as JP continues his lessons in flying spinnakers. 17:27 Like HG, JG is beginning to struggle up the back passage, as the sun sinks lowers reenergising his headache. Water is passed between JG & JP as the wind begins to die. The last three laps see times drop to 34 minutes and their position slips to 17th at the handover. 18:00 HG emerges from his tent and tries more Cain to make himself better. It works…just. 19:17 TK & AM take over, AM bidding a quick hello/goodbye as she arrived after the start. TK armed with his water is prepared for the now infamous back passage. Luckily for TK the sun starts to set relieving back passage pain, unluckily the wind continues to die and lap times are climbing up to the 50 minute mark. 19:30 HG, RG, JG & JP meet in the marquee for a hot meal, well hot being a relative term as it is only slightly warmer than room temperature. The race’s progress is discussed; PK worried there will be no wind later on. HG assures him that it always picks up just after midnight. PK is not convinced. 19:50 TK is worried as the wind gets lighter and lighter, Scammonden SC have started to catch up rapidly and as they continue to roll tack their Enterprise up the lake they look like they will overtake him on the water. 19:55 There is justice after all as South Staffs, Scammonden & Ulley to name but a few start to pick up lap penalties for illegal propulsion. 19:58 JG starts to clad his car in cardboard, to darken it, in preparation for an early night, by 20:15 he is sound asleep. 21:46 TK & AM have broken the 60 minute barrier for a lap time and are pleased to start their final lap. They have managed to climb and hold position at 16th. 23:30 HG awakes and is unable to find his trunks. Suspicion is that his stalker has taken them. All he can do is sail in his best Kalvin Kleins. 22:38 PK & OW hit the water not exactly running and complete their first lap in 52 minutes, proving PK is quicker than his brother 23:52 The wind is now non existent as TK & OW complete their 2nd lap with the team’s slowest time of 73 minutes. Never mind HG guaranteed the wind would fill in at midnight. 14/09/08 Day two 00:32 Finally some wind! Maybe HG was right if a little out on timing. 00:42 Time for change over as HG & RG return fully rejuvenated for the night shift. No sun just a large moon! With a bit of wind the next lap is only 35 minutes long…still an eternity. 01:30 JG awakes in his VW cocoon fully refreshed. He puts a brew on for himself and JP. 01:56 JG communicates, in an ever so subtle way, with HG & RG who seem happy enough to do two more laps. One hour left to get changed and have a brew. 02:29 Final lap before change over confirmed with HG. JG & JP changed, ready to go. 02:30 The wind disappears and amazingly the whole fleet end up on the same leg and start to bunch up as the wind drops them all behind the island. HG at the bottom of the windless dead run fears 60 boats will drift down in the new wind. They did. 03:00 RG tries hard to change the conversation from chuffing Enterprises and their need to cheat by rocking and rolling, to fabrics at Skopos and wouldn’t it be good to visit Dunhelm mill on the way home. 03:34 After 65 minutes finally time for change over. HG & RG leave the team in a fantastic 15th place. 04:07 As the wind picks up, or was it the big push from the docking area, JG & JP do a 33 minute lap and hit 14th place. 04:30 At the top of the beat JG & JP on starboard are hit on the rudder as Lark 04 tries to squeeze into the mark. They don’t take a penalty and went on to win the race. 05:43 Still in 14th place the sun finally begins to rise. Having nearly hit the shore twice, beating up the dark shore, the light was a welcome relief. No sign of TK & AM. 06:09 TK & AM are seen and changeover agreed for the next lap. 07:06 Changeover completed with the boat in 17th place, the wind is still light but not impossible with laps taking an average 30 minutes. 07:37 JP & JG fully showered settle down with a brew and bacon and sausage butty and watch the race. AM spying them from the water places her order for when she finishes her shift. 08:29 In varying winds TK & AM endure an on the water battle with their nearest rival, West Lancashire Yacht Club. Local knowledge seems to win and it looks like 17th place is where we will be. TK & OW have emerged ready for their final stint. OW disturbed because he went to sleep with ear plugs in and can’t find them anymore. At least he still seems able to hear things. 09:35 In 17th place TK & AM prepare for their handover. PK is locked and loaded (his own words) in his shorts and T shirt and OW still wondering where his earplugs are. 09:51 In true Southport fashion the wind starts to pick up and with a tight spinnaker reach in front of the clubhouse, the spectators have something to look forward to. PK & OW do a 16 min lap. Speed, they feel the need! 11:19. Boats are beginning to capsize. After two blistering laps, PK & OW have pulled up a place to 16th. 11:53 The wind is increasing, but the boys have dropped to 17th. Tactics now as hopefully they can squeeze an extra quick lap in to better their average lap time. 12:08 It’s all over as team WRSC get the finishing gun. PK & OW do a 14 minute lap, the fastest of the weekend, five times quicker than their slowest lap! 12:40 In true team spirit the boat is de rigged and packed away on the road trailer. 14:15 Finally after numerous calls for clubs to complete their final declarations, the prize giving starts. 14:25 It’s official 17th place and HG finally collects the prize for the first Yorkshire boat. By rights, if it wasn’t for a bit of local politics boundary issues, and a club that isn’t really a club it would be the third time of winning it. But we’re not bitter, just the fastest Yorkshire boat! |
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