Staunton Blaster 2025 - Day 1 Report (22nd Feb)
Published 19:36 on 22 Feb 2025
Perfect February conditions greeted competitors for the opening day of the Staunton Blaster, with temperatures reaching an unseasonable 12 degrees and steady winds between 7-14 knots. The event, part of the East Midlands Mini Series, attracted a strong fleet of 25 boats, with the home fleet from Staunton Harold SC (15 boats) welcoming visitors from Ogston SC (8 boats), Burton SC (2 boats), and Notts County SC (1 boat).
The day's racing consisted of two general handicap races of 55 minutes each, followed by an afternoon 75-minute pursuit race. The strongest breeze was seen in Race 1, where Craig Williamson (ILCA 7) from the home club showed excellent speed to take the win.
The final pursuit race of the day provided a thrilling finish, with Joe Scurrah (RS Aero 7) from Notts County SC making a spectacular last-minute move to claim victory, followed by Staunton's Rachel Gray in her Streaker in second, and Ogston's Andrew Wilde (Solo) completing the podium.
After three races, Joe Scurrah leads the event with an impressive score of 5 points, showing remarkable consistency with a 3,1,1 scoreline. Home sailor Craig Williamson holds second place with 8 points, while the Fireball pair of Pete Gray and Rich Pepperdine sit in third with 13 points.
The day wasn't just about the racing - competitors enjoyed post-sailing drinks in the club bar, with a special celebration for Ogston's Philip Wilson, who was marking his birthday with his crew Rosie in their Enterprise. The friendly atmosphere both on and off the water highlighted the strong community spirit of the Midlands sailing scene.
With tomorrow's forecast suggesting gusts exceeding 30 knots by midday, two back-to-back races are scheduled for the morning, starting at 10:30 AM.
Current Top 5 after Day 1:
Joe Scurrah (RS Aero 7) - Notts County SC - 5 points
Craig Williamson (ILCA 7) - Staunton Harold SC - 8 points
Pete Gray/Rich Pepperdine (Fireball) - Staunton Harold SC - 13 points
Rachel Gray (Streaker) - Staunton Harold SC - 15.5 points
Andrew Wilde (Solo) - Ogston SC - 19 points
Thank you to Andrew Wilde for today's excellent report!
Full results from Day 1 are at:-
https://results.shsc.org.uk/shscresults/2025/blaster.htm
Photos courtesy of Heather and Alan - thank you to you both
Last updated 19:39 on 22 February 2025
