Race 3 Report   Borthwick Cup Autumn Series 2024   

By Victoria Bonham Carter

Course: Es Pp Bp Cs Ds
Wind: Force 4 gusting 5

Given the inclement conditions, it wasn’t clear how many would turn up for Race 3 of the Autumn Series at the top of the river. But 6 hardcore sailors appeared and the race was ‘on’.

Ginna Gayner set the perfect course and made the decision that the fleet should reef. We braced ourselves for whatever the weather would throw at us but predictably the wind lessened 5 minutes before the start of the race. However there were moments when we were grateful for our reefs as sneaky little gusts surprised us throughout the race and some of us had our bailers hard at work to clear the paddling pools.

Red and Chloe Johnson,  Ben and Polly Savage and Karl and Zoey Liebat all got off to a good start on the favoured west bank.  We were buffeted all the way down to E and tried to capture the lifts and headers as fast as they were thrown at us.   Ben and Polly were the fastest ‘cow’ scow in the fleet and rounded E (to starboard), at lightening speed.  Karl and Red took chase, followed by myself and trusty crew Edward, with Tim Robinson and Darren Firth slightly further back. The ‘cow’ held her lead round the second mark, P (to port), and the herd duly followed.  Then the fun started as a few members of the fleet sailed off into pastures new. The ‘cow’, still in the lead, was exemplary and took the gun – but the two boats behind lost their way, either skipping marks or passing them on the wrong side.  At pains to put right where they had gone wrong, Red and Karl went into ‘crochet mode’ – undoing and redoing the bits they had missed out and managed to come in ahead of Tim and Darren.

Luckily we had the top team on the platform – Peter and Gerry Marling-Roberts and Ginna, who were able to decode the crochet pattern and put the results into the correct order.  We were lucky to come second – not because we’d been particularly quick but because my tactician had been concentrating and guided me round the correct course. Thank you Edward!

Thank you to our team on the platform – Ginna, Gerry and Peter and to the safety team, Mary Montagu-Scott and Ian Strathcarron.  Also to Tim and Francis Robinson for a delicious tea and for invaluable shore support, Peter Bettridge.