Sunday 6th July saw the 2nd dinghy race of the Summer Series take place.
5 boats partook of the blustery force 4 / 5 northerly winds, providing entertainment throughout both races with races inside races as well!
Will Higgs with his two daughters as crew, sailing an Enterprise made an excellent start to Race 1, followed by Sophie sailing a Topper who maintained her lead over Charles and John in a Bosun dinghy for the first half of the first race before being eventually overhauled.
The two other boats, Christine and John sailing a Quest with Rob, Wilf and Belle in a Feva, were having their own tussle between themselves as well as contending with the fluctuating winds and mud!
The Enterprise crossed the line first followed by the Bosun but once boat handicap was taken into consideration, Sophie helming the Topper was the comfortable winner.
The start of the second race was far more of a spectacle where all 5 boats were in close proximity to each other right up to the first mark, whereupon the Enterprise managed to pull away from the Bosun and the chasing fleet.
Tacking into the wind proved difficult at times with any lost momentum resulting in the boats being blown backwards, losing ground against their opponents.
Strangely it was not until the penultimate leg of the final lap that we saw the first capsized boat, the Feva, followed by 2 more capsizes again by the same trio in the Feva.
Not to be outdone, the Quest, tipped over at the gybe mark, stayed over and due to a flooded compartment took the safety boat crew a considerable time to right the boat and be in a position for her to be towed back to shore.
After Handicap was taken into consideration, Will’s team came first, Charles and John second (albeit they should be disqualified for obstructing a competitor after finishing) with Sophie third and Rob Wilf and Belle forth.
Whilst Will won the day’s events, the overall winner of the summer race Series was Sophie, having achieved two victories in the previous races but first prize for best screaming – that award goes to Belle. Ear plugs for her crew will be supplied at the next event!
Congratulations to all sailors for taking part and competing in challenging conditions.
Many thanks go to Steve Kirby and Steve Larratt for manning the safety boat and setting the course.
The Autumn Race Series will start in September and we look forward to seeing as many boats on the water as possible! More details to follow, nearer the time.
Rob Kirby | Commodore
Weir Quay Sailing Club 