RS400 Winter Championships at Leigh and Lowton sponsored by Trident UK and Rooster on 19^th and 20^th March 2022

The weather forecast favoured the entrants to the RS400 Trident UK and a Rooster Winter Championships at Leigh & Lowton Sailing Club this weekend with a 15mph Easterly. The race course made best use of the full length of the lake. Competitors arrived to white caps which continued for much of Saturday.

The first race saw some of the lighter weight teams sit it out on the shore; Sam Knight and Chris Bownes (Bartley SC) started strongly and won over Chris Pickles and Mark Lunn (Bass SC), a close competition that would continue to the end of the weekend.

A quick lunch and with the wind abating a little the competitors went out for the second and third races, close racing in race two with Knight/Bownes winning again with Pickles/Lunn second, third race a switch as Pickles/Lunn took pole position with Knight/Bownes in second.

The rescue teams were pretty active throughout the day, with all but one of the teams taking a dip at some point, some liked the water temperature so much that they went in for another swim just to ensure that their front crawl technique didn’t get too rusty. Burgee sales saw an uptick in trade.

Curry and a quiet night in front of the rugby were the order of the evening, but in typical Leigh & Lowton style the bar was well supported despite the lack of games. Perhaps some of the competitors are starting to show their age?

Sunday started with another blue sky day, wind had shifted slightly with a little more south in but still a long windward/leeward was set by the race officer Gareth & Jen Williams.

A lot of place trading in the fourth race, mid fleet, with the attraction of the bank drawing teams together in a ‘6 lane high way’ downwind.

Race 5 saw Alistair Norris and Alex Alcock (Leigh and Lowton SC) take a strong lead, new to the 400, and showing the opposition that the left hand side of the downwind leg was there for the taking.

Race 6 saw the young whipper snappers Charlie Exley/Luke Dickinson (Leigh and Lowton SC)  leading for the first lap finally being overhauled to finish 6th (but still beating his Mum and Dad) by the Knight/Downes combo who took the overall win by 1 point from Pickles/Lunn in the final race.

Great racing at all levels of the fleet, a lot of close competitive trading of places. Nice to see two teenage helms joining the 400’s.

Thanks to everyone for making the event such a friendly, good spirited affair.

Winners of the Trident UK vouchers were the Adam and Martyn Catlow (Leigh and Lowton SC), David and Alison Gray (Leigh and Lowton SC), and Richard Catchpole and Gary Coop (Leigh and Lowton SC)

Geoff Edwards & Fireman Sam (Budworth SC) won some Trident UK calibration stickers.

Winners of Rooster neck gaiters were Ian Webber-Rostron and Luke Harison (Delph SC) for the Endeavour prize and Mark Dinsdale and Ness Evans (Leigh and Lowton SC) won the Mid Fleet Heros prize,

Charlie Exley and Luke Dickinson took the junior prize.

Thanks to Trident UK & Rooster for the prizes and sponsorship of the tour.

Next even on the Trident UK Northern Tour is Carsington SC on 7^th and 8^th May.

Photos and videos from Paul Hargreaves, Gareth Williams and Paul Heath show some of the champagne conditions.

Report by Caroline Exley