The OOD, Tim Chittenden was determined to start the first race on time but the punters seemed a bit reluctant to co-operate and it was 12.00 noon before the Fast Handicap fleet got away. No one can complain that they didn’t get value for money.
Most sailors were expecting a two lap race and were surprised when they were sent round a forth time in failings winds. Thankfully the wind for the last lap improved significantly.
The wind remained light and variable after lunch and the prospect of a “Round The Lake” course looked remote. However with a very light North Easterly a course was set with a beat to 3 followed by 12 and 13. The port bias on the line caused some congestion, especially when Toggle tacked on the line in front of Mike Moore. Collisions were inevitable and Mike’s FF sustained most of the damage. His boat is now back to how it was before the winter refurbishment work commenced.
By the time the fleet reached the windward mark in falling winds the prospect of sailing South seemed even more remote.
In such light winds it’s always a bit of a lottery as to which side of the Lake is favourable and the lead boats changed places a number of times on the run.
The wind gradually improved and by the time they reached 12/13 there was sufficient for a reasonable beat back to 5 where the race was finished.
Robbie D and Ethan were ahead of the fleet and Mike Fairlamb in his GP14 took the lead at 12 from Dave Lawson and lead the GP14s for the rest of the race.
After an increase in the wind in both the final stages of the first race and the round the lake race the consensus of opinion was that the OOD had inside information from above. It transpires however that he was monitoring the speed of the wind turbines in the distance and their increasing speed gave him confidence to continue the races.
Could it be that the wind turbines have some use after all? (So says the man from Sellafield!)