What a difference a week makes. No rain, just wall to wall sunshine. No gales with unmanageable gusts, just a force 2 with holes in the wind all over the place. A slightly delayed start with the 2 minutes silence being observed but that was no great loss as there was hardly any wind at all before then. Just a simple triangular course with all fleets on the same course as we were sharing the water with a lot of little terrors or should that be RS Teras. Well, possibly I was right the first time!
Six of us started in the north westerly and all of us this week crossed the start line with kites up. A chase to the first mark, N, which was a spinnaker gybe, saw desperate shouts for water for all boats, however, all rounded cleanly. The five open fleet boats were all in a bunch up the next leg to mark 5 which was taken to starboard to give the only beat of the course down to mark 7 before returning through the start line. This beat was the only opportunity to gain any advantage and Geoff, this week with Bill holding down the front end in Jim’s absence, got to the mark first with Vic and Spike not far behind. The wind along the shore back through the gate and on to N was very variable and needed continual trimming of the kites to take advantage of the many shifts and holes.
Just three laps in the first race and on the final one Jo, this week with me at the front, decided to hold on as long as possible before making the first tack on the beat to mark 7. Despite this bringing us down through the little terrors, it gave us the advantage and we finished the race well ahead of Geoff in second place and Spike in third.
The lighter winds was making it hard work for Chris and Glynn in the heavier, Chocoholic, and they didn’t start the second race. Over the same course, there seemed to be even more holes than before and a particularly large one around X. Rather than hugging the shore to take us on a straight line to N like the rest of, Geoff stayed wide and had to come in to the mark. However, this worked to his advantage and set him up with a good lead over the rest of us which he maintained until the end of the race. This time Robin and Gio took second place with Jo and me third.
Prize-giving dinner
Looking forward to seeing you at the dinner next Saturday. The timing is 7.30 for 8.00 which means that we shall be sitting down at 8.00 to get all the formalities out of the way as quickly as possible so that we can get on with the important part of the evening…chatting to friends that we haven’t seen for some time.
Also a reminder that Ann will be holding a raffle in aid of her son, Robert’s, efforts to raise money for the Movember, prostate and testicular cancer charity. Any raffle prizes that you would like to donate will be gratefully received.
Artist in Residence
Caroline Clough, Jennifer’s mother, seems to be assuming this role. You might have seen her exhibition in the clubhouse when we had the Championships event and she has also designed the club Christmas card which is on sale at the office. She has recently produced a painting of Jo and Ann in Last Fling which was seen by another member of the fleet who has asked her to do one of him in his boat. Caroline is happy to do similar paintings of other boats and crews if they would like one to keep. She will be at the club next Sunday, 18th, taking photographs from which she will produce an original painting of you and your boat. They are sized 8ins x 8ins and will cost £35 . If you would like one and not sure who Caroline is please see me or Jo on Sunday.
Keith
