Draycote Water Sailing Club hosted the Lark Inland Championship on 5-6 June 2004. Sponsored by Crewsaver, North, Speed and Hyde Sails, the event attracted 30 Larks.

With a forecast of high temperatures and light winds, racing was always going to be a brain strain. Races 1 and 2 were just squeezed in before the breeze died to nothing.

After day 1, Sarah Richards and Nigel Wakefield were leading overall with a score of 5;1. Bob and Kelsey Suggitt had shown their aptitude for the light stuff by winning by a healthy margin in R1 and were lying in second with Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson in 3rd with a 4;3. The real stars of the weekend, though, Glen and Marion Enkel, clicked their 20 year old boat into gear and were lying in 4th overall after the first day.

Four races were successfully run the following day, albeit in very shifty and patchy conditions. Going into day two with a score of 2;9, Emma Harris and Becky Priest needed a consistent and good set of results in order to climb up the fleet. This they managed, with a score of 6;4;2;1, giving them the overall title by a 6 point margin. The Enkels, sailed very intelligently, picking their way around the holes into the breeze, and firing in a 3;6;2 giving them 2nd overall – a testament to their perseverance and enthusiasm.

Newcomers to the fleet, Jonathan Lewis and Milly Parsons showed some early form with a R3 win and were looking promising in R5 until equipment failure let them down. Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson found the going a little harder than Saturday and only scored well in R4, which they lead from start to finish. Bob and Kelsey Suggitt didn’t find the consistency they needed and, even with a 2nd in R4, dropped to 3rd overall.

Mark Ampleford and Lee Nankervis, however, having disappointingly lost the lead of R2 on the line, made up for it by winning R5 and finishing 3rd in R6. Dougal Scott and Ruth Johnson found better speed than on the previous day and joined in at the top of the fleet, scoring a 7;3;3 and bringing them up to 5th overall.

Overall Results

1st Emma Harris and Becky Priest, 15pts

2nd Glen and Marion Enkel, 21pts

3rd Bob and Kelsey Suggitt, 25pts

4th Sarah Richards and Nigel Wakefield, 29pts

5th Dougal Scott and Ruth Johnson, 35pts

6th Rob Larke and Sally Wakefield, 40pts

7th Matthew White and Clare LaForge, 41pts

8th Mark Ampleford and Lee Nankervis, 43pts

9th Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson, 44pts

10th Jonathan Lewis and Milly Parsons, 44pts

1st Youth Prize: William Croxford