The Enterprise Association UK

2009 Enterprise Masters National Championship

Sponsored by Noble Marine Insurance

  Sailed under the burgee of Ogston SC 25 – 26 April

© Janice Bottomley

Welcome and congratulations to our new

MASTERS CHAMPION NIGEL BIRD / CREW ANDY BIRD

36 competitors arrived at Ogston to a very friendly welcome. Some took the opportunity to have a weekend break and arrived Friday and enjoyed the camping option, although some ‘Masters’ found this a ‘chilling’ experience. The majority arrived Saturday morning in drizzly rain, but rain was soon replaced with sunshine and a variable breeze of up to 15 knots.  Registration completed and the briefing given by a very good Race Officer, Nic McLeod, the  Masters were treated to a short Practice Race, followed by 2 races. In what seemed to be very fair conditions the fleet had 2 capsizes: Sharky, crew for Alice Allen not only threw the jib stick out of the boat but followed it, taking Alice in as well!!. Race 2 saw Nick Jackson finding mobility in the boat ‘tricky’ and decided to ‘test the water’. Race 1 and 2 were dominated by Nigel Bird and his wife Andy who just left a trail for the rest of the fleet to follow and won each race convincingly.   Martin Honnor/Simon Haighton from Ogston SC benefitted from their knowledge of the water at the home club.

Saturday

Race 1: 1^st 22456 Nigel Bird/Andy Bird, 2^nd 23127 Tim Sadler/Hannah Sadler, 3^rd 22344 Mike Birch/Verity Birch.

Race 2: 1^st 22456 Nigel Bird/Andy Bird, 2^nd 23127 Tim Sadler/Hannah Sadler, 3^rd 23170 Martin Honnor/Simon Haighton                                                                                                                                                       

Sunday dawned and it was a beautiful day but very little wind, the start was delayed but at about 10.30 a breeze came in – it was ‘fluky’ and with such winds there are always major gains or losses on the water. Today it was Ann Jackson’s turn to read the shifts and take a well deserved 1^st place in Race 3. Graham Kirkup took 2^nd position in this race due to his interpretation of the shifts.

The host club put on an excellent Masters Dinner, this was a seated event for sailors, family and friends. It was a really enjoyable meal provided by the galley/bar team with service provided by the youth at the club who offered their excellent ‘waiting service’ in return for donations to their Sail 4 Cancer Campaign. The prizes were presented by Commodore Don Spencer(Ogston SC) and Commodore Peter Dolling (Enterprise Association). At the prize giving a very warm and appreciative thank you was given to Ogston SC team for providing such a good event which was very well organised, on and off the water. The Enterprise Fleet would thoroughly recommend this venue, it has a great family atmosphere and Bob and I were made to feel very much part of that family – thank you all. Our thanks also to our sponsors Noble Marine.

 Click here for the 2008 Masters report and results