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EVENT REPORT At the briefing held in the Club on Friday evening 11 boats entered for the weekend and there was some optimism that more could be persuaded to enter if the weather looked good on Saturday morning. An unusual situation was apparent at the briefing in that the ladies intending to compete were doing what the men normally do by encouraging other lady skippers to over imbibe as part of the pre race banter in the forlorn hope of encouraging hangovers in their competitors. To be fair, being much more sensible than us chaps, none were seen to succumb and all turned in relatively early to be ready for the challenges of the weekend. Saturday dawned bright and very breezy with the Met Office Forecast for the day offering NE 5 or 6 for the main course but promising a pudding of E or NE 3 or 4. Although concerned by the prospect of finding ourselves on moorings off the Gazelle or Menai Bridge that night with the main course causing severe upset stomachs because of the reported condition in the Straits all the boats except “Moonraker” went out to the Fairway for the planned start at 1400. Anne in Moonraker making her first skipper decision of the day very sensibly decided to stay on her berth and monitor the race channel to see what we decided to do, how awesome is that? At the Fairway, and indeed on the way out to it the conditions were pretty marginal with well over 20 knots of wind and occasionally 30. Regrettably it was pretty unanimously agreed to abandon the rally for the day and return to our comfort zones at Conwy. Sunday was a totally different kettle of fish, sunny, warm and with a pudding of NE 2 or 3. Excellent conditions indeed for the ladies to try their hands at a competitive rally. The OOD set a course from the Fairway, Puffin Island to Port, 10 Foot Bank Buoy to Port, Puffin Island to Starboard and back to finish at the Fairway Buoy. The rally started at 1400 with 7 boats, regrettably the others had for various reasons had to make tracks for home. After the start a most excellent rally ensured with all the boats remaining in close company as far as the 10 Foot Bank Buoy. Of particular note on this leg was the speed of “Gara Gannett” with his high tech folding prop, “no lady this one”! although they were accused of wearing wigs in an attempt to disguise their chromosome count. After the 10 Foot Bank many of the boats hoisted chutes and spinnakers for the reach back to the Fairway and much jostling for position took place all the way to the finish. Lorraine Gorst in Myfanwy sailed really well on the leg and made up a tremendous amount of ground on all the other boats. At the finish “Merlin” was first home closely followed by Myfanwy “Gara Gannett” (no lady) and “Cabernet”. Merlin was the winner on corrected time with Myfanwy second. Well done Jean (Merlin) Lorraine (Myfanwy) and all the Lady Skippers, commiserations to “Gara Gannet” (no lady) who paid a heavy price under the SI’s by the “No Lady” time penalty rule. The results are:-
Note: Gara Gannett – Gentleman helm – 10% time penalty applied i.a.w. SIs. By Tony Mead |