Now for something different . . .

Something we haven’t seen for a couple of weeks . . . Sailing race results.

The RS Aero 2019/20 UK Winter Series comprised 14 events across the country and only three required for a series, so it was possible to choose your events and qualify without too many winter miles.

A 120 sailors competed in at least one event and 16 sailors still qualified with three events.

Making a late comeback at the end of the winter Peter Barton took the overall series, counting three wins from Tim Hire and Greg Bartlett with two wins each.

Ultimately the inability to re-run the Winter Championships at Broadwater in late March deprived Tim and Greg the opportunity to claim the Series on tie break by winning the final event.

Unfortunately three of the 14 planned events at Highcliffe, Oxford, Chichester and then a re-run at Broadwater, were lost due to gales in February and then COVID-19 restrictions in March.

The final two events in March, the Frensham Frenzy and the Exmoor Beastie at Wimbleball SC, delivered excellent mixed fleet racing in pretty locations and a variety of conditions before the coronavirus lockdown.

RS Aero 2019/20 UK Winter Series Results Summary

Overall
1 – 3193 Peter Barton, Lymington Town SC
2 – 2439 Tim Hire, Royal Lym / Lym Town SC
3 – 3174 Greg Bartlett, Starcross YC

Full UK Winter Series Results available here (pdf)

Youth
1 – 2439 Tim Hire, Royal Lym / Lym Town SC
2 – 2071 Sam BLAKER, Thorpe Bay YC
3 – 2966 David Peaty, Upton Warren SC

Female Youth
1 – 1888 Abigail LARR, Northampton SC
2 – 2105 Lily Barrett, Island Barn RSC
3 – 1566 Abby Hire, Royal Lymington YC

Female (not youth)
1 – 2603 Ellie CRAIG, Draycote Water SC
2 – 1159 Harriet CRITCHLEY, Stokes Bay SC
3 – 1301 Emily DAVIS, Great Moor SC

Masters
1 – 2550 Chris Jones, Sutton Bingham SC
2 – 3005 Nigel ROLFE, Burghfield SC
3 – 1400 Gary FOWLER, Grafham Water SC