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Designer: William Crealock
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Miracle Northeast Champs at South Shields Sailing Club
Author: Dave Rowe
27th & 28th May
Fifteen Miracles turned out for the NE Area Championships at South Shields. The weather forecast for Saturday was not good - blustery force 6 to 7 north westerly, and unfortunately they got it right. Many of the fleet were upside down at one point during the race.
First round the windward mark was Martin Ward and Linda Mellor (Hoveringham). Being a brave pair they hoisted their kite and got blown half over by a gust (later described as vicious), survived that but got finished off by the gust that followed. David Southwell and Stephen Cronshaw (Winsford Flash) took the lead followed by Peter Cuthbert and Peter Evans (Leigh & Lowton) and then local sailors Jamie Finlay / Deborah Greenland and Geoff Pike/ Madeline Leek.
At the next mark Finlay/Greenland bit the bullet and gybed themselves into 2nd place but lost it again by capsizing at the end of the dead run. The order remained the same to the finish: Southwell/Cronshaw, Cuthbert/Evans, Finlay/Greenland, Pike/Leek.
The race officer decided one race was enough and no one complained. The next day was much more civilized with a force 2 -3 north easterly. Race 2 Cuthbert/Evans took the lead followed by Finlay/Greenland and then Graham Watts and Hannah Brett (Staunton Harold). Cuthbert/Evans were never really challenged whilst Finlay/Greenland and Watts/Brett battled it out for 2nd place with Finlay/Greenland clinching it on the last beat. Finishing order: Cuthbert/Evans, Finlay/Greenland, Watts/Brett.
Race 3 was held back to back. Southwell/Cronshaw and Finlay/Greenland made superb starts closely followed by Watts/Brett and that’s the way it stayed to the finish with Darren Addington and
Andrew Appleby (Hoveringham) following up in fourth place.
The final race was held in a dying wind and a strong ebb tide inside the harbour. Simon Evans and Joanne Dawber (Delph) took the lead at the windward mark but dropped to 4th place going the wrong way against the tide to the wing mark. Finlay/Greenland who had been doing so well previously had a nightmare of a race and ended up in 9th place. The leaders were Southwell/Cronshaw, Ward/Mellor, Cuthbert/Evans, Evans/Dawber.
David Southwell and Stephen Cronshaw showed consistency in the varied conditions and proved to be worthy winners of the North East Area Championship Trophy.
Overall Results:
More Information:
- YachtsandYachting.com Miracle Page
- South Shields Sailing Club
See also: CLIPPER MARINE 26 for sale
