We are Racing Again!

For our first event of the 2021 Summer Season – in fact our first event for over a year – we found ourselves at Fishers Green with a turnout of 18 sailors, an excellent start to the season – and several new faces!

The weather was sunny but the forecast wind was very light. However 80% of the day’s sailing took place in adequate wind, together with a few surprises in the shape of a couple of whirlwinds and the occasional gust.

We were happy to welcome several Seavet sailors who were using their smaller sails, so for the first time we had a proper 7.8 class of four.

After the briefing we held a one minutes’ silence in memory of Derek Clarke and Alan Jackson, two members who departed this life over the past few months.

Peter Murray on his Div II took an early lead in Race One and held on to it until somewhere in Lap Three when Rob Kent edged past and eventually crossed the line in first place, with Peter 2nd, Bob Ingram 3rd and Lewis Barnes 4th. The wind continued to prove tricky, with shifts and puffs making life hard for some and presenting opportunities for others. Fisher Green always provides us with a challenging event, and this was no exception.

Lewis got properly into his stride in Race Two and led the field throughout the race, keeping well ahead of Rob Kent in 2nd and Peter Murray in 3rd. Nick Kidd has his best result of the day in 4th. A little further down the field a mother/daughter battle was taking place between Annette and Emily Kent, with Emily four points ahead after two races.

Lunchtime was “déjeuner sur l’herbe” – picnic on the grass, socially distanced, then off again for Race Three. Once again Lewis led the field by the end of Lap One, with Peter Murray in hot pursuit. By the end of the next lap, these two were followed by Jon Davis and Bob Ingram, but by the end of the race Rob Kent had snatched second place from Bob and Jon had slipped to 5th behind Nick Kidd.

After Race Three the wind veered through some 90 degrees and the Race Officer moved the Committee Boat so as to realign the course. Some stronger wind kicked in and several sailors blasted across the lake in the back straps, but then the wind dropped and backed and the Committee Boat returned to more or less its original place for the last race. Within seconds of the start Rod Davis was struggling in the water twenty metres upwind of the start line, yet everyone managed to avoid him and he eventually sailed round the pin. Three quarters of the way through the race the wind decided to fade away almost entirely and it was a weary fleet which pumped the last few legs to the Finish Line. Rob and Lewis filled the first two slots, followed by Bob. Annette sneaked into 4th place, her best result of the day, thus managing to beat daughter Emily by one point overall.

We then finished for the day, pumping back to the shore just in time for the One Minute’s Silence for the Duke of Edinburgh.

RESULTS:

1st Overall: Lewis Barnes

2: Rob Kent (also 1st Lightweight & 1st Vet)

3: Peter Murray (1st G Master & 1st Div II)

5: Nick Kidd 1st Supervet

7: Annette Kent (1st Lady)

9: James Leeming (1st Newcomer)

10: Richard Williams (1st 7.8)

Thanks go to Fishers Green and our Race Officer for a very enjoyable day’s sailing.