Hartland wins

All the action from the Lightning Scottish Championship

The Lightning Scottish Championships were sailed at Coniston Sailing Club over the weekend of the 24 - 25 September 2005 as part of the Coniston Water Festival Regatta.

As usual, there were to be two races on the Saturday commencing at two o'clock with three races on the Sunday. The forecast was for 10-15 mph winds with sunshine and showers. Luckily, the sun was in abundance for the racing on the Saturday, although the winds varied in both strength and direction.

Race one got away on time with Mal Hartland opting for the windward shore, rather than heading into the middle of the lake with the remainder of the fleet. Tracy Hartland after a hasty repair to her kicker saw it give way shortly before the preparatory signal was lowered. Steve Finnegan started in the main fleet and struggled to get clear air. So it was M Hartland that led the Lightnings into the windward mark and by leeward mark had opened up a sizeable lead overtaking the Enterprise and GP, looking to catch the Albacores.

T Hartland finally caught Finnegan on the second beat and stayed ahead of him to the finish. M Hartland stayed ahead of T Hartland, despite close covering from the Enterprise up the final beat to the finish.

Race two started in similar conditions, although the wind was now very changeable with many holes appearing and major gains to be made in the shifting conditions. T Hartland got the best start of the Lightnings and again stayed on the windward shore. However, by the windward mark M Hartland had taken advantage of more wind in the middle of the lake to hold a small lead going down the first run.

Again M Hartland enjoyed close racing with the GP and Enterprise, as well as close covering from the Flying Fifteen. T Hartland and Finnegan managed to get ahead of the Lark and stayed in positions to the finish. With the changeable conditions, the faster handicap boats were able to pull out a larger lead and the Lightnings all held mid fleet positions at the finish.

After a great display of Celigh dancing and a disco on the Saturday evening, race three started with a number of competitors noted for their absence, but the Lightning fleet was complete. M Hartland got the better start in the fresher conditions and built a sizeable lead on the first round. T Hartland had a great beat on the second lap to close to within 100 metres of M Hartland, at the windward mark, but M Hartland pulled out an unassailable lead on the downwind legs, closing back in on the GP14. On the final beat to the finish M Hartland had a comfortable lead on T Hartland, who held off Finnegan to ensure second place.

After a break for lunch, the fourth race got away with a course change with the Lightnings closing in on the rest of the handicap fleet with M Hartland again in the lead. A constant lift up the second beat ensured that his lead would not be taken and with it secured the Scottish Championship for the fourth consecutive year. T Hartland enjoyed the fresher conditions to again take second with Finnegan in third.

In the final race, with the Lightning positions decided, it was only M Hartland who sailed to try to improve his position in the handicap fleet, which was now very close for the top five positions. In the variable conditions, it was the faster handicap boats that capitalized on the pockets of wind to pull away. Whilst M Hartland was becalmed on the far shore, the Albacore was able to power down the reach through to victory. Hartland was unable to improve on his previous positions to leave him fourth overall in the Regatta, with T Hartland tenth and Finnegan twelth.

Results:

1-Mal Hartland, Dovestone SC, 4 pts
2-Tracy Hartland, Dovestone SC, 8 pts
3-Steve Finnegan, Dovestone SC, 12 pts