Race 5 Report Borthwick Cup Autumn Series

Course: Ap Es Ds Cp Bs Ap Es 

Race Officer – Ginna Gayner, Platform – Gerry Marling-Roberts, Safety – Peter Bettridge & Lucy Markby, Refreshments – Hicky Taylor

Report by Al Fothergill

It was one of those beautiful English days – summer/autumnal light – with not much wind and the odd scattered breeze over the water. There was going to be a split fleet. I wrote down the course with a pencil on the back of an envelope which I stuck in my back pocket. An intricate yet simple course set by Ginna Gayner which took us neatly up and down the river and crossing from bank to bank.

Beep…‘One minute’ called from the jetty… Beep. We all had a slow steady start towards Palace House, gently tacking and then round Ap and downstream on a run to Es. I was busy with my centre plate but when I looked up I was somewhere in the mix – about five boats in.

I did manage to hold one long tack upstream from E to Ds where I gained a place or two and had to ‘luff in the puff’ – using a timely wind shift. I mainly saw Karl and Zoey Liebat and Mary Scott with her cousin Isabella Weston from Texas ahead of me.  There had been early jostlings with the Cow Scow with Ben and Polly Savage – Polly helming her first race. Sam van Holthe and Victoria Bonham Carter with Sophie Smith were vying with each other and were catching me all the time on the final close reach. There was the occasional spirited wave and a friendly word from Kristen Branford and Darren Firth across the water as they gave chase.

Once we crossed the line, the extra high tide meant a few us had to row ashore, bringing the trees close alongside our scows. Simon Gibbs who was a defeated by the light airs and sudden gusts, retired and was there to kindly help us ashore in the extremely high tide.  Kristen jumped out of his boat to get the trolley and found himself up to his middle. Many congratulations to Zoey helming with Karl on a fine race.  

I think we all find, in our own way, that these few hours are hard to beat.  Thank you to those that keep this timeless snapshot on the Beaulieu River so alive.

Thank you very much to the starting platform, Ginna and Gerry Marling-Roberts and Hicky Gibbs for a much enjoyed mug of tea with cake afterwards and to Lucy and Peter on safety duty.

1. 421 Zoey and Karl Leibat
2. 600 Mary Scott and Isabella Weston
3. 454 Al Fothergill
4. 499 Sam van Holthe
5. 510 Victoria Bonham Carter and Sophie Smith
6. 449 Polly and Ben Savage
7. 598 Darren Firth
8. 595 Kristen Branford

252 Simon Gibbs RETIRED