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International
Flying Dutchman |
Valentines Day Massacre 1998Bala Sailing Club - 15 February 1998With entries almost reaching 70 boats, this open pursuit race was notable for two reasons, firstly the unseasonable light and warm winds , and secondly the rare and wonderful sight of Cath sailing in the middle of winter. We had a cracking days racing, finishing a third of the way down the fleet. Starting with only two boats behind us, we stalked a lone sickly looking 505 for several minutes before pouncing, and with the scent of blood in our nostrils, scampered after the placidly grazing herd of Fireballs. All was not well in our part of the forest however, as the sole representative of the new order came whizzing past. Those 'in control' had only a few moments of glory, before perfectly executing a splendid run-reach-broach-swim gybe, leaving us to smirk past, me with a bacon butty and a coffee in the cockpit as Cath lounged on the cabin roof making up baggywrinkle for the topmast running backstays. The whole affair reinforcing our belief in the undoubted superiority of 850 quids (pounds sterling - ed) worth of soggy plywood over a capsized Boss at two sail reaching. We started to reel in the back markers of the slower classes, although the leaders, only recognisable as GP14s by their infinitesimally small spinnakers and a rate of forward progress similar to the minute hand of a clock - only by looking away for a while and then back at them could one tell they had moved at all - were still parsecs ahead of us and the outlook was grim. Even the breeze briefly building to clew two, (for us, James or Gordon might have had to sit out a bit) only cheered us up when it allowed us to dice finely and bury under the patio the only Javelin in the race (country, world, cosmos, delete as applicable). Minutes before the time limit we found ourselves short tacking with an Int. Moth which was embarrassing, before scoffing the only RS600 (loudly, so all surrounding boats can hear,:- 'We think sailings like sex, its much better with two people than on your own') seconds before the first of three mark roundings which might have been the finish but we'd better go on to the next one because everyone else is. Back at the prizegiving, amongst the slow boats that dominated the event, a Cherub came second, hooray for those who love their boats, we said, and the best from our club, a Hornet, finished just outside the prizes, ha, ha, ha, we said. It didn't feel as if the breeze had changed greatly during the race, but there was obviously a slight drop in strength between the slow and fast boats starting, as the first large trapeze boats were eighth, ninth and tenth. That was, of course, the first normal large trapeze boats, as the race was won, and in some style, by an 18ft skiff, which must have found the kilometre wide lake exciting to hoist and drop in while reaching across with the rocky shores coming up fast. We didn't begrudge them their victory, after the accomplished way they haggled with the RO over their handicap, a skill which would have stood them in good stead in the bazaars in Peshawer. They provided excellent spectator sport too, and stayed dry doing it. We beat all but one 505, and were about half way down the Fireballs and RS400s. We didn't see any ISOs, well only flashing past backwards when we looked out of the window, and the L4000 was right down the tubes too. The BOSS finished three behind us. Julian Bridges FD IRL 4 / GBR380 |
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This page was last updated on 06 December 1998 - Please send contributions and comments to Richard Phillips mailto:100446.2371@compuserve.com . For more sailing links see www.sail-cd.demon.co.uk/index.htm |