Another exciting days sailing interspersed with calm patches as the wind fought with itself from two directions. With no GPs or Mirrors, there was only the handicap fleet competing and with 12 boats overall.

Due to the changing winds, not surprisingly, finding and staying in the wind or gusts made all the difference. Shunty used the gusts to his advantage to catch Scumper, and finally broke away with a big lead to take the morning race.

The afternoon race was a pennant race that took the boats around the lake. The OD had discussed missing marks at lunchtime and was told that 14 was missing, so left it out of the course. However, after Neil Currie rounded 12 in the lead he headed across to 13 and kept looking and looking but to no avail. So some bright spark suggested the fleet went around 14 instead. Unfortunately this was to seriously disadvantage the leading RS400s and the race was eventually scrapped.

Boring…

… That was Toggle’s thoughts on the events that filled last week’s report. Now that may have been because he wasn’t here to contribute to the weekends events. Of course, he had to make up for it on Saturday as he learns to get to grips with his RS Vario. It could be that Toggle is finding gybing (without capsizing) one of the more challenging aspects. However, after several capsizes, and much barracking from Scumper and Robbie D, he was still smiling at the end of the day. Whether he feels that way this morning with various aches and bruises who knows?!

Toggle was not the only casualty of the day, but amongst others, we can’t fail to mention Roy and Kayla’s capsize – much to Kayla’s delight, it didn’t stop them finishing ahead of William. Subsequent to this Roy exited the boat a little early as they came ashore leaving Kayla to stop it running aground while he waded out of the water. There were several occasions when William and Jonathan were close to joining them in the league of casualties – firstly when the William didn’t realise the main had cleated itself again during a tack, and then when a knotted halyard prevented Jonathan getting the gennaker down for so long that they almost ended up on the A66.

As for the racing, Scumper and Andy T left the fast handicap fleet standing having broken into the lead and taken advantage of some of the good gusts that were around. Similarly, Hugh and Rhonwen won both of the GP races comfortably. In the mirror fleet, Mik was back on the water at last showing Toddy (the young(?) pretender) the way home

Well that’s the quote of the day (or is it the season?) from Mike Fairlamb. Some winter refinements to his rudder led to a tangle of ropes and his first capsize of the season on the start line of the afternoon race. It must be pointed out (so they told me) that neither Mike, or crew Ian Macpherson, actually went swimming during the capsize. However, they didn’t take the trophy for the first ducking of the season – that went to vice commodore Dave Nicholson closely followed by sailing secretary Roy Blackburn and Kayla – Some habits die hard! Having sucessfully completed the first race the gybed (well, didn’t quite make it) for the shore and in they went. That was to prove one capsize too many, especially as Kayla was wearing a shorty, and so they didn’t sail the second race.

Sunday saw the launch of another new boat which was sailed by William with Jonathan Connor crewing. Although nothing dropped off (apart from the quick release tiller extension!), there still seems to be a mass of ropes that need cutting down to size.

There were 10 boats on the water for the first race in winds that seemed as if they were going to be marginal. By the time Herb had reset the start line in the shifting winds, the wind settled down to the east and led to some good racing which probably took many by surprise, so much so that they opted not to sail the second race.

Jose’s excuse for not sailing the 2nd race was that she didn’t even have the energy to lift a teapot!

Although Shunty and Ruth won the first race, it was Hugh and Rhonwen that won the second race and the series overall to take Starter’s Prize.

STARTERS PRIZE

PN    Boat  Helm          Class        1   2 Pts
 1   13905  H GODFREY     GP           2   1   3
 2    1298  S HUNT        RS400        1   2   3
 3    1303  W CARRUTHERS  RS400        5   3   8
 4   13885  M FAIRLAMB    GP           4   5   9
 5   13867  D NICHOLSON   TOPPER       9   4  13
 6    1049  M SOMERVILLE  RS400        3 DNS  16
 7     103  A NICHOLSON   VARIO       OD DNS  16
 8   13655  N LEWIS       GP         DNS   6  19
 9   13733  A HODGKINS    GP           6 DNS  19
10    1029  R BLACKBURN   RS400        7 DNS  20
11   70142  T SMITH       MS           8 DNS  21
12     374  M RIMMER      VARIO       10 DNS  23

                     Points for RTD = 11   7
                     Points for DSQ = 11   7
                     Points for DNS = 13

 2 races to count

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It’s All Happening at Once!

The sun has shone for the training and tuning day, and although the wind faded through the middle of the day it turned to the north east to bring a sharp breeze that tempted Toddy to launch his new mirror named Wen.

However, he wasn’t the first on the water, that honour went to Daphne and Ian in his Lark. Nor was Toddy the last – Mike and Sue ventured out in a GP.

Many others were doing a bit of head scratching as they tried to work out which bit goes where, especially for those that have changed fleet.