by Dave Woodhead
Mediterranean conditions visited the Lancashire moors for the final open meeting of the RYA North West Junior Traveller Series which took place at Bolton S C on Saturday 1st October. This was the culmination of the popular 10 meeting series sponsored by 1st Mark Chandlery with starts for Youth, Junior and Optimist fleets. The series attracted 111 boats to enter one or more events with some stalwarts managing to travel to all ten meetings, ranging from Bassenthwaite in North Cumbria to Nantwich in South Cheshire.
Force 2 to 4 winds and high temperatures provided some of the best sailing conditions experienced all year for the Bolton meeting. The youth class was dominated on the day by Reece Tomlinson of Fidlers Ferry S C hotly pursued by Kirk Knights of Elton S C with Buffy Dean, Leigh and Lowton S C as the first girl and third overall. All three were sailing Lasers. In the Junior fleet there was a real mix of boats. The Topper of Zac Gibbons (Redesmere S C) was on winning form with the Laser of Oliver Davenport 2nd (Leigh and Lowton) and the Hill brothers, Ben and Gabe in their Mirror 3rd (West Lancs Y C).
For the overall series in the youth class Reece Tomlinson became the first sailor from Fidlers Ferry to win a major trophy. His victory at Bolton on the final day gave him a single point lead over John Wingeat from Leigh and Lowton S C. with Andrew Price and Buffy Dean, both also from Leigh gaining 3rd and 4th respectively. All the youth prize winners were sailing Lasers.
The biggest of the three fleets in the series is the junior fleet with over 70 boats on the entry list. The eventual winner, showing great consistency over a variety of conditions, was Sam Clarke of Winsford Flash S C sailing a Laser Radial, winning by 3 points from the Topper of Zac Gibbons from Redesmere sailing club. Three more Laser radials occupied the next three places, Alan Dodd (Fidlers Ferry)Oliver Davenport (Redesmere) and Jonny Hoy (Nantwich) In sixth place came the first two man boat and first under 14 sailors in the form of Ben and Gabe Hill in their Mirror. (West Lancs Y C)
The small but perfectly formed Optimist fleet had been a 3 horse race all season. The eventual winner was Bobby Hewitt (Leigh and Lowton) with Matthew Leckie (Leigh and Lowton) and Lucy Knights (Elton) in second and third places.
At the end of the day there was an extensive prize table of quality goodies and trophies provided by 1st Mark Chandlery. Prizes were for the Bolton open, the 2011 series and a prize draw where each sailor gets an entry into the draw for every event they have travelled to away from their home club. Many children went home smiling, clutching some great prizes and for those that didn’t there will always be next year.
