Queen Mary Blows & AGM

LWA Summer Series 2020 Event 1: Queen Mary SC: Sat 7 March

Well at last the 2020 season actually got off the ground! It did not prove to be the gentle introduction some of us were hoping for, but we did get in four good races – and an AGM!

It was quite a windy morning but there were rather a lot of 9.5s in evidence, a show of optimism which came adrift for some sailors as the morning progressed.

Only a dozen made the start line for Race One. Peter Murray on his Div II was first round the windward mark but he was eventually reeled in as the planing raceboards got into their stride. He held on to second place at the end of Lap One but finally slipped to 7th. Lewis Barnes stormed away at the front, crossing the line ahead of Rob Kent and Paul Leone with Annette Kent in 4th.

Peter was again well up at the start in Race Two, but this time it was Rob Kent who took the line honours with Lewis slipping to 2nd and Paul Leone once again 3rd. Peter has his best result of the day in 4th.

Nick Kidd had an unfortunate encounter with some shallows near the Bund and ever so gently stuffed his skeg into the back of his board, causing him to retire for the rest of the day, joining Andy Lacy on the spectators’ bench.

For Race Three, Adrian Brearley and Kerry Hastings made it to the start line having rigged a more modest sail size, although with 100% hindsight – always the best kind - it would have been better to use their smaller sails in the morning and revert to 9.5s for the afternoon.

Lewis made no mistakes in this one, repeating his success in Race One, to come home ahead of Rob and Paul. Toby Cave had his best race of the day to take 4th place.

Race Four saw the same three sailors filling the top slots, with Annette taking another 4th which put her into 4th place overall.

The AGM was held at the end of the day’s racing and a report will be posted shortly.

RESULTS:

1: Lewis Barnes 2: Rob Kent (also 1st Grand Master) 3: Paul Leone 4: Annette Kent