AVON AND SOMERSET CONSTABULARY DINGHY SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS AND DINGHY SAILING OPEN Thursday, 5th SEPTEMBER, 2024
10 boats turned out for this year's event which was held in wet and misty conditions. The entries included 2 boats from visiting forces. Numbers attending were slightly increased by a small group of 'on-shore supporters' arriving to witness the regatta. In view of the forecast for increasing wind, the Race Officer, John Smalley elected for running the first two races back-to-back and Race Three to follow after lunch. Starts were from the clubhouse passing through a gate for each lap completed. After ensuring that every boat had the full complement of crew aboard including the Omega, the fleet got away shortly after 11:00 hrs. The wind was unsettled and the Wayfarer started with mainsail reefed whereas backmarkers struggled to get moving. The fastest rated dinghy was the RS600 of Alex Piggott (Notts) which lead clearly by the first mark to be followed by Ollie Saunders (West Mids), on this occasion helming a Lark with Harvey Rose, There was a long downwind leg which suited the Lark, also the slow rated Comet of Mick Parnell (A&S). For Race Two the course was altered and this accentuated a reaching leg, At the start the wind stayed in the same northerly direction but was gusting at times. The Lark made a great start from the port end of the start line and lead at the first mark. Gusts were catching out some boats and capsizes included Alan Holbrook and Karen Stenner (A&S) in the RS Vision. The Omega retired in disgust at the conditions which made it difficult to recover but the rescue boats were quickly on the scene throughout the racing. Meanwhile the RS600 found the course much to his liking, coming first on corrected time with the Lark second and Kim Huxtable with Malcolm Dykes (A&S) in the Bahia coming third,
After lunch, Race Three. The wretched conditions continued and the rain increased. Again the Lark chose a port end start resulting in a good lead round the windward mark but by the next mark the 600 was storming ahead, Rounding the second wing mark the Lark had problems with their kite, capsized and retired. Meanwhile the Bahia finished upright ahead of the rest of the fleet whilst others struggled. After 25 minutes the course was shortened. The Vision capsized then retired 200 metres from the line. It had been a bleak, miserable day observing the racing but exhilarating for the competitors. Excellent hosting and catering at CVLSC was a welcome completion to a day when the sun never shone. R.S.
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