Goss and Parsons show winter mettle

420s race at Carsington in Peak District reports Nick Martin

James Goss and Elliott Parsons won the inaugural 420 Winter Open from Tom Mallindine and James Clark at Carsington Reservoir on 19-20 February. Twenty boats travelled to the Peak District for the weekend despite a forecast of very cold weather. They were rewarded with a good weekend of sailing in bright sunshine and strong wind.

On Saturday the wind was northwesterly force 3-5 and 3 hard races were completed. On Sunday the wind had moved to the north and the competitors were greeted with 23 knots and ice forming in the rescue boats. After a short postponement Race Officer Adrian Stoggall and his team of helpers and safety crews were finally able to start 2 more races.

Not all the boats finished but overall the top boats sailed extremely well to get their names in the prize list. Many thanks to Carsington for their efforts.

With a 12.00 start on Saturday all the boats were ready for the race officer to get the first start away on time. Goss and Parsons took a middle route to the first mark and arrived comfortably in first place ahead of Mallindine and Clark. Goss and Parsons stayed ahead to the finish but Mallindine and Clark were unable hold off Niki and Chris Birrell and James and Dan Ellis who were just ahead of Ally Martin And Millie Parsons for second and third places and fourth places. In race 2 a late start by Nathan Batchelor and Joe Crabb and a hitch to the left saw them take a big shift and lead at the first mark from Mallindine and Clark. Batchelor and Crabb looked like holding on to their lead until a lay line error at the windward mark caused them to capsize letting in Mallindine and Clark for a win and Robin Stewart and Matthew Forrester into second place.

Race 3, and again a big port lift on the first beat. Goss and Parsons led at the first mark ahead of guest sailor Callum Macdonald sailing with Matt Day. As the wind became more shifty, Mallindine and Clark moved up to second with Martin and Parsons crossing for third. But a major shift tacked them and this let through Goss and Parsons again and Claire Walsh and Clare Best.

Sunday was definitely not a day for the faint hearted. In race 4 Fynn Sterritt and Matt Day and Goss and Parsons had a real fight for the win. Sterritt and Day looked to have it until the last run when a broach let Goss and Parsons through. Race 5 was a big win for Sterritt and Day who cruised around well ahead of Goss and Parsons. Mallindine and Clark gained their second third place of the day.

Alice Brotchie and Lesley Bannister managed to finish all the races rounding off with an eighth in the last one. However, this was not quite enough to overhaul Ally Martin and Millie Parsons who finished top girls.

	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5
1	Goss, James	Parsons, Elliott	1	10	2	1	2	6
2	Mallindine, Thomas	Clark, James	5	1	1	3	3	8
3	Birrell, Niki	Birrell, Christian	2	4	7	4	6	16
4	Stewart, Robin	Forester, Matthew	10	2	5	6	4	17
5	Ellis, James	Ellis, Dan	3	5	8	8	5	21
6	Sterritt, Fynn	Day, Matthew	7	DNF	DNF	2	1	30
7	Struckett, Robert	Hodkinson, Tom	8	12	13	5	7	32
8	Martin, Alison	Parsons, Milly	4	6	4	DNC	DNC	34
9	Brotchie, Alice	Bannister, Lesley	9	8	DNF	11	8	36
10	Batchelor, Nathan	Crabb, Joe	6	3	9	DNC	DNC	38
11	Lawrence, Charlotte	Husband, Poppy	13	14	6	7	DNC	40
12	Walsh, Claire	Best, Clare	12	7	3	DNC	DNC	42
13	Arscott, Ben	Jacobs, Dan	15	15	12	10	DNC	52
14	Norris, Alistair	Marsden, Hannah	17	9	11	DNC	DNC	57
15	Maxfield, Henry	Evans, Gareth	14	13	10	DNC	DNC	57
16	Jones, Ffion	Williams, Rhian	11	DNF	DNS	9	DNC	60
17	Long, Juliet	Brook, Nicola	16	11	DNS	DNC	DNC	67
18	Rawson, Matthew	Norris, Emma	DNS	16	DNS	DNC	DNC	76
19	Hansen, Eloise	Hansen, Kayleigh	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNC	DNC	80