Spring Series Race 2

Saturday 30th March 1400 HW 1350

STARTING PLATFORM Gerry Marling-Roberts

RACE OFFICER Oli Stanley

SAFETY BOAT TEAM Sam van Holthe & Elizabeth Gedge

SPRING SERIES Race 3 : Sunday 7th April 1100 HW 1030

STARTING PLATFORM Gerry Marling-Roberts

RACE OFFICER *** Slot to fill ***

SAFETY BOAT TEAM Oli & Sophie Stanley

REFRESHMENTS *** Slot to fill ***

RACE REPORT : RACE 1 Ap Es Fs Ds Cp x 2

It was good to be finally back on the river, catching up with friends and tinkering with our boats after the long 5 month hibernation. For our first race of the year we had a north-westerly wind, F3/4, with scudding clouds and the occasional sharp gusts to keep us on our toes.

It’s always strange getting into the scow after a long break. So familiar and yet so unfamiliar. That feeling of being at ‘one with the boat, moulded into the hull,’ is not quite there; the dance moves rusty. There’s a palpable nervousness on the start line as we try to find the old rhythm and relax into our sailing boots before the starting gun sounds.

The wind shifting makes the choice of starting position tricky, a late bend to the north favours the mid line on starboard tack as the gun goes, and those on the far bank have to duck sterns.

Of course there’s no feeling of ‘unfamiliarity’ for the old pros – Jay Devonshire and Simon Shaw – who effortlessly roll tack up to the first mark ‘A’ and then steadfastly disappear into the middle distance.

The rest of us, 7 in all, dip and duck our way around the course – much changing of positions and a few close shaves. We take the lifts and enjoy the long rolling run down to ‘E’ with the tide running beneath us. Our race officer, Tim Robinson, was kind to us and let us off a couple of ‘hairy gybes’ for this first race. I am not sure other clubs are so ‘mollycoddling’ and considerate with their fledglings – but that’s how we are.

Jay took the gun, hotly pursued by Simon. A rule infringement had led to Simon nobly taking a 360, at which point some gear failure on the mainsheet added to his woes. After quite a long gap, the rest of us trickle home.

As always, thank you to our team of volunteers – Jim Gedge for laying the buoys, Tim and Gerry on the Starting Platform and Mike and Malvena in the Safety Boat. To Jay for testing our buoyancy and for rigging advice and thank you to Frances and Amanda for delicious cakes and sandwiches. June welcomed our new members and even managed to herd us into a quick bank-side committee meeting. So all in all it was good morning.

RESULTS

1 Jay Devonshire
2 Simon Shaw
3 Victoria & Edward Bonham Carter
4 Lucy Markby
5 Ben and Polly Savage 6 Carl & Zoe Liebat 7 ELizabeth & James Gedge 8 Bill Vance 9 Lizzie Anders

Victoria Bonham Carter
Captain of Scows

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