After a miserable wet start morning across the country, the rain suddenly cleared leaving a tempting lake, with lighter than forecast winds, for the weekend series. The OD set a technically brilliant course, encompassing all the key legs of sailing – shame it didn’t translate into an enjoyable course for the race! It seemed that as soon as the handicap fleet started the wind picked up enabling crews (and helms if you’re being picky) to sit out. Offwind the gusts came through in bursts, so it was important to make best use of them when you got one.
Neil Garrison raced his Dart, and soon took the lead in the freshening winds, but he was to finish 5th on handicap. Scumper was next, but finished 2nd on handicap behind Big E in his Laser. The course for the second race was a simple triangle, but proved much more exciting, especially as there was a a great spinnaker reach on the final leg. Neil Garrison led the fleet again, followed by William/Lesley Drummond, but with Scumper catching on some offwind legs, he was able to win on handicap and leads the series overnight. Toggle secured 2nd in the race, but Big E lies 2nd overnight.
In the F15s, Mike/Kayla got off to a flying start and was cover tacking Simon Longstaff/Jon Denwood up the first beat, but it was not to last as Simon took the lead until Jon missed his toestraps whilst tacking and fell overboard. The time it took to recover Jon effectively gave Mike a chance to win that he wasn’t going to give away. In the 2nd race Ian Campbell took to the water for the first time in his new acquisition, crewed by Lezli-Ann Pearson. Having held back the race for a short while as he completed a slight modification, he was lying 2nd up the first beat behind Simon. However, it wasn’t to last as he continued to sort through teething(?!) problems, and Mike passed him. Hard to believe maybe, but Jon was to fall overboard again when a toestrap worked free as he was flying the spinnaker on the tight reach – catching his foot in a sheet you’d have thought he was trying to water ski behind the F15. Again Mike ceased the opportunity to take the lead, and won the race with Ian 2nd. Mike has overnight lead.
In the GPs Andy/Rob Smith sailed consistently to take two wins from Mike/Eric. Val/Ken retired from the first race when their kicking strap failed, enabling Alan Jones/Sue Watson to take 3rd place, but Val beat Alan in the next race.
Although John/Jack Telford won both races in the Mirrors, Mik and Alan Waugh had a much closer race such they had a dead heat in the first race, with Mik beating Alan in the second race.