Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club

Drizzle, southerly, and very shifty. That was one recipe for the last Wednesday evening. There was another recipe, and it involved chicken and chilli and seemed a lot more appetising to me...

Nevertheless there were sixteen boats on the line, including all three of the contenders for the main series trophy...breeze about 7 knots, I thought that looked pretty good for the RS400 on the face of it, but with tell tales glued to the sail bythe drizzle, and 45 degree shifts evident by where anchored safety boats were blowing the one certainty was it would be tricky...

From the slow start ringer for the night was CJ in Gareth's Solo. High risk tactic for Gareth, because whilst if CJ managed to beat Paul that was Paul down a place, but if it was a Solo night that could also be another place between Paul and the rest. Paul and CJ seemed to start close together. From the fast start though Mike and Gareth were at opposite ends.

At the end of the lap it was RS400, small gap, Aero, large gap, big bunch including 3 Solos two lasers and an RS300, and the rest following closely. Paul did not appear to be the leading Solo. Second beat looked very iffy to me. Huge separation between RS400 and Aero - and indeed everyone else - and holes starting to be visible in the wind. 400 seemed to get a long way clear at this stage. Aero still clear of the chasing pack, and the chasing pack was still a pack while the first two were in clear air.

Mike seemed to have a long slow session on the reach, but finished fast. Not necessarilly what you want if it means there's wind behind you for the others. Fair but not enormous gap to the Aero, and the RS300 next having just worked through the group in less wind than it needs. Then a Laser, and soon after the first Solo. And its Paul. Game on I think. Writing this as they finish I have not a clue who's got the points. It could be close.

[some time later]

Well, I worked out the results. In between, that is,grabbing a beer and putting away of reasonable quantity of Yin Wong's very excellent Thai style curry. Any results. Paul never really got out of traffic, and a third was the best he could hope for, which wasn't going to be good enough. Mike and Harry did all they could, winning the race by a significant margin - and shall I mention that, as he also won a race with Harry Phelps, Harry Curtis had the most wins of anyone this season? But, and its a very big but, Gareth was second and that was just enough to give him the series by no less thann 0.9 points.

In the personal handicap Mike Jones had in fact won the series already, but I didn't find out until just before the race when I found an extra duty evening I hadn't recorded. Mike and Harry Curtis get second in that series two, and Harry Phekps picked up third.

I can't remember a close Wednesday series since I've been at the club.