A small group of volunteers got together this morning in spite of the forecast rain. No extra participants were going to turn up, so we decided to go ahead, with a race session of more experienced with less experienced sailors, and an alternative way of running the racing.
4 boats, 4 buoys used up most of the helpers. Each boat stood next to a buoy with sails flapping. Charlie’s Chariot stood in the centre and blew the horn. One at 4 minutes to race start, one at one minute to go, and a final blast at race start. Everyone started sailing as fast as possible to the next buoy, then a Port Rounding and on to the next buoy. This was fine in theory until the rain started in earnest and tipped the boats full of water within a few minutes. At the same time, visibility was reduced to nil, so a consensus using the radios decided to ABANDON RACING.
In the meantime, Jeremy and Brian in Black Swan had pipped all others and so was declared the winner.
There followed a real race back to the pontoon, where a barbecue was being prepared in the rapidly reducing rain.
Everyone declared it a fun race, and we will do something similar at a different time.
Thanks so much to the people who took part:
Peter and Steve in Eli D
Denis and Michael in Woody
Jennie and Warwick in Ralph Newman
Brian and Jeremy in Black Swan.
Helen was registrar, Corey on the radio, John driving Charlie’s Chariot and race starter, Francois laying buoys, Eli taking photos and cooking sausages.
