Commodores’ trophies event yesterday and a good showing from the Fifteen fleet. Nine out of the 27 participants. However, one sad thing as far as the club is concerned was that, of the total, 20 fell into the senior category and there were only three juniors taking part.
With two races before lunch, the short course format was in place which was a pity as there was a steady 3-4 blowing all day and good long beats/runs over a larger area of the lake would have been possible and made the racing more challenging. As it was, we were promised an “interesting” course around the inflatable buoys which, in deed, it was. Starting with a beat from a start line in the vicinity of C to mark 1, near buoy B, followed by a run back half way down the beat to mark 2 which was taken to port with a reach to mark 3, taken to starboard, and then the return to the committee boat and round and round again.
All very simple but, as it turned out, and as Craig Revel Horwood would say, it could have all ended in “dis-a-a-a-a-aster”! Boats beating up to the first mark were confronted with faster boats coming back to the second mark. Fifteens had spinnakers up and were going straight, asymmetrics were zig-zagging and Lasers could have their booms out on either side. Add to that, a catamaran taking wide turns at marks and it all added to the excitement. Fortunately I don’t think there were any mishaps but it did lead to some interesting situations and calls.
With a fairly short start line, getting all 27 boat away was the first challenge to overcome and, inevitably, on the second race a general recall was flagged. With so much going on all around us, and no time to look around, it was impossible to keep track of what was going on elsewhere on the water but the Blacklee boys were certainly showing the rest of us the way round in the first and third races. The second race was Paddy and Amanda’s turn to shine, taking a substantial lead. Vic and Richard also deserve a mention as they were always up with the pack in each race. With boats coming round so quickly, and some being lapped once or twice and having their races shortened, it must have been quite hairy on the committee boat so well done to them and also well done to Audrey who had sort out all the results out before the prize-giving.
Inevitably, positions on the water translated to different places in the final results but the three top Fifteen boats of Mike, with a first and second place, gave them second position in the overall rankings, Vic, with a second and fourth, ended up in third place and Paddy with a second and seventh, sixth overall, thus gaining the Fifteens the team trophy. Mike took away the Senior trophy and Jo the Ladies trophy. This was Jennifer’s last sail with Jo as she is off to Uni next Sunday so a fitting end to this partnership. Best of luck with your sailing at Southampton Jennifer but do try and fit in some studies between the races and come back and see us during the holidays.
Just as in the club regatta a couple of weeks ago, the overall winners of the event were Alan and Caroline Williams in their Snipe. A good and efficient teaming gaining them two first places but, as their boat has the same PY as an Enterprise, we’ll have to work a lot harder next year if we want to beat them.
Back to normal series racing next week with just one race in the morning and our own start so you can all come out of hiding again.
Keith
