DragonForce 65 and DragonFlite 95 TT at Blithfield Sailing Club

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DragonForce 65 and DragonFlite 95 TT at Blithfield Crusing Membership

by Alastair Reid 14 Mar 11:07 PDT
8-9 March 2025

DragonForce 65 and DragonFlite 95 TT at Blithfield © Alastair Reid

Blithfield Crusing Membership held its third ever radio crusing occasion, and second TT occasion, over the 8-Ninth March 2025. The climate gods have been form and greeted the 37 rivals for DF65 and 36 for the DF95 courses with unseasonable however very welcome sunshine and a very good breeze providing as much as 18 knots on each days.

To supercharge the weekend from the outset, Darin Ballington confirmed his Race Officer expertise by developing a course to not solely present a good begin line but in addition assist launch the fleet additional offshore to minimise the wind shadow results from the shoreline. Each days noticed a full and uninterrupted schedule happen with solely minor delays as the house workforce sorted out a really single-minded and recalcitrant race mark (our fortunate quantity will not be 4). Finally put all the way down to a steep gradient on the reservoir mattress, it was ultimately coaxed into staying put.

For the Saturday DF65 races, the wind got here from the notoriously fickle ENE nook of the reservoir which filters its path across the clubhouse in a method that sees the wind route on the financial institution subtly totally different from that at DF masthead top. Because the day progressed, the wind constructed with a gust of 18 knots at lunchtime which produced some spectacular nostril dives. A number of skippers selected to vary to A Rig for the afternoon session although the bulk toughed it out with the A+.

A full complement of races was accomplished by 1530 and with nothing lower than a second over eight races (how I lengthy to have the ability to discard a second), John Tushingham was first with Simon Clark and Ken Binks second and third respectively.

The Sunday DF 95 programme noticed a close to similar ENE wind route, proving the knowledge of leaving the buoys out in a single day. There was somewhat extra breeze early on however the A rig was the selection of the day and no skippers have been seen to vary from that.

Simply as within the full-size racing at this venue, when you suppose you’re handsomely laying the windward mark on this wind route, don’t bear away too early, you’ll remorse it! This was evidenced by the frequent cry of ‘contact’ on the windward mark.

The heats continued at their ordinary quick and livid tempo all through the day with fastidiously scheduled breaks to permit the total scale Membership fleet to launch and recuperate. The day concluded at 1540 hours after 9 races every. John Tushingham was once more masterful (albeit he did need to discard a way more cheap sixth amongst his scores) and got here first with Peter Baldwin and David Burke second and third.

With a galley crew eager to point out off their newly refurbished workspace, Blithfield’s house workforce offered a top quality possibility for each breakfast and lunch, designed to be served throughout a large interval of service to satisfy the unrelentingly fast tempo of those races. To complete the day with a heat sundown and a refreshment of your alternative simply added to the affect of the situation and event.

In accepting the winners prize, John thanked the membership and race workforce together with a want to return once more to the venue.

The house workforce have been grateful for the various plaudits from the guests and their unmistakable sense of wishing to return to Blithfield.

DF65 Outcomes:

Place	Sail No	Skipper	Membership/Metropolis	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	Pts
1	51	John Tushingham	Keighley & Dist MES Ltd	2	1	2	1	20	1	1	2	8
2	64	Simon Clark	West Cornwall RSC	1	3	10	10	4	4	3	3	18
3	83	Ken Binks	Eastbourne & District	4	40	12	2	13	5	20	9	26
4	120	David Potter	Birkenhead	1	20	1	16	15	23	4	4	27
5	12	Buzz Coleman	Coalhouse ort MYC	6	5	19	6	30	6	80	1	27
6	63	Peter Baldwin	Birkenhead RS&PC	5	10	5	3	5	8	6	8	320
7	30	David Burke	Fleetwood MY & PBC	7	17	8	13	1	2	7	12	37
8	45	Jerry Ibberson	ROF WAC	5	9	3	7	8	20	16	13	45
9	42	Wayne Stobbs	Gosport MYBC	4	16	18	8	16	9	10	5	520
10	154	Paul Plested	Birkenhead RS & PBC	2	12	6	18	7	13	15	21	55
11	57	Jim La Roche	Datchet	11	6	17	12	9	14	50	16	57
12	97	Paul Robson	Poole RYC	11	25	16	5	11	12	18	7	620
13	14	Bob Conner	Woodspring MYC	10	8	9	9	18	18	13	17	66
14	66	Martyn Aspinall	Rotherham MYC	20	24	14	11	10	3	9	20	67
15	53	Clive Warren	Birkenhead RS&PC	9	23	28	4	6	23	11	14	67
16	7	Olly Murray	Fleetwood MY&PBC	20	7	4	17	14	7	23	38	69
17	100	Liz Tushingham	Keighley & Dist MES Ltd	13	20	23	14	12	10	14	6	69
18	302	Chris Extra	Askern RSC	3	14	11	15	20	31	23	10	73
19	558	Jonathon Kneale	West Cornwall RSC	6	11	15	23	24	16	120	18	78
20	165	David Nickerson	Birmingham	13	15	13	20	19	11	17	23	88
21	6	Paul Middleton	Fleetwood MY&PBC	3	18	27	25	25	24	19	19	108
22	34	Alan Barnstable	Woodspring MYC	12	26	7	19	320	19	27	28	110
23	588	Tim Leary	Pembrokeshire MYC	15	30	29	21	17	25	24	11	113
24	19	Barry Rolfe	Birmingham MYC	10	27	20	36	22	30	28	15	122
25	663	Neil Thomas	Pembrokeshire MYC	8	13	22	38	29	34	32	22	126
26	920	Invoice Hancock	Rudyard Lake MYC	7	21	31	30	38	17	26	30	131
27	161	Simon Cornes	Rudyard Lake MYC	12	29	21	26	21	29	25	29	134
28	303	Lisa Extra	Askern RSC	8	22	26	24	36	38	31	26	137
29	173	Jay Williamson	Pembrokeshire MYC	9	28	34	22	27	27	30	24	137
30	69	Jen Hand	Lincoln RSC	20	19	24	27	28	23	33	34	141
31	572	Rob Mathewson	West Cornwall RSC	14	33	30	31	23	26	21	27	141
32	39	John Lees	Blithfield MYC	20	31	33	29	31	15	20	32	146
33	712	Garry Field	Manor Park RSC	15	35	25	28	34	28	34	31	161
34	140	Ian Gethin	Blithfield MYC	20	32	35	32	30	32	29	33	175
35	40	Justine Davenport	Abersoch RYC	16	36	37	33	26	33	38	35	179
36	0	Alan Smith	Fleetwood MY & PBC	17	37	36	35	33	38	38	25	183
37	130	David Baker	Birmingham MYC	14	34		34	35	35	38	38	184

DF95 Outcomes:

Place	SallNo	Skipper	Membership/Metropolis	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	51	John Tushingham	Keighley & Dist MES Ltd	1	1	2	6	1	2	2	3	2	11
2	172	Peter Baldwin	Birkenhead RS & PC	1	13	7	9	2	7	1	4	1	23
3	330	David Burke	Fleetwood MY & PBC	3	3	3	10	13	3	6	2	5	25
4	20	David Potter	Birkenhead	3	2	1	1	11	8	10	13	6	31
5	12	Buzz Coleman	Coalhouse Fort MYC	4	5	9	2	6	6	15	1	9	33
6	83	Ken Binks	Eastbourne & District	2	6	4	3	3	14	7	9	11	34
7	6	Paul Middleton	Fleetwood MY&PBC	5	12	8	5	8	18	8	6	13	52
8	188	Rod Radbourne	Manor Park RSC	7	16	5	8	5	1	12	15	15	53
9	877	Martyn Aspinal	Rotherham MYC	4	9	12	16	4	17	9	14	10	62
10	97	Paul Robson	Poole RYC	6	23	22	26	19	9	4	10	4	74
11	42	Wayne Stobbs	Gosport MYBC	10	10	14	15	7	5	13	21	22	74
12	34	Alan Barnstable	Woodspring MYC	5	15	18	12	17	10	11	8	22	78
13	36	Bob Lafbery	Keighley & District	15	7	15	4	9	15	18	23	28	83
14	102	Chris Extra	Askern RSC	11	14	6	19	20	22	37	5	8	83
15	9	Steve Venables	Manor Park Radio SC	2	21	17	7	14	20	23	12	12	84
16	45	Jerry Ibberson	ROFWAC	7	4	13	18	35	27	5	17	22	86
17	154	Paul Plested	Birkenhead RS & PC	8	8	10	14	18	16	28	18	27	92
18	62	Simon Clark	West Cornwall RSC	10	24	11	13	22	22	3	16	37	97
19	93	Clive Warren	Birkenhead RS & PC	8	18	29	11	16	19	34	26	3	101
20	169	Invoice Hancock	Rudyard Lake MYC	6	20	22	22	10	4	17	37	35	101
21	661	Jonathon Kneale	West Cornwall RSC	13	34	28	17	15	13	14	20	14	106
22	14	Bob Conner	Woodspring MYC	15	11	19	20	23	29	22	7	18	112
23	712	Garry Field	Manor Park Radio SC	13	33	16	22	25	25	22	19	7	124
24	118	Steve Thomas	Rudyard	12	25	25	36	27	12	22	11	19	126
25	173	Jay Williamson	Pembrokeshire MYC	14	28	27	30	12	11	22	29	16	130
26	57	Jim La Roche	Datchet	9	17	32	24	22	23	16	30	26	137
27	365	David Nickerson	Birmingham MYC	9	19	30	23	30	30	24	22	30	157
28	69	Jen Hand	Lincoln Radio SC	14	30	23	25	31	26	25	28	17	158
29	100	Liz Tushingham	Keighley & Dist MES Ltd	12	26	33	28	32	24	29	27	23	169
30	563	Neil Thomas	Pembrokeshire MYC	16	29	20	31	29	28	26	37	25	173
31	103	Lisa Extra	Askern RSC	18	27	24	27	28	32	30	25	24	173
32	519	Barry Rolfe	Birmingham MYC	11	31	26	29	26	31	27	33	29	179
33	503	Simon Cornes	Rudyard Lake MYC	16	23	31	32	24	33	35	32	32	190
34	688	Tim Leary	Pembrokeshire MYC	17	36	35	34	33	37	32	24	34	209
35	645	Justine Davenport	Abersoch RYC	18	32	36	33	36	37	31	31	31	212
36	13	Alan Smith	Fleetwood MY & PBC	17	35	34	35	34	34	33	34	33	219