On 7/8 April the Flying Dutchman
fleet started their open meetings at Oxford Sailing Club. Saturday started bright and
sunny with 10 knots of breeze from the south west. Three relatively short races were
planned and these got underway without difficulty. At the front of the fleet Hugh Myers
crewed by John Lansley led the fleet at the first mark followed closely by Peter Doran and
Richard Phillips. On the first reach faster spinnaker work saw Doran in front but being
pressed hard by Myers. The remainder of the race saw Myers and Doran continuing their duel
and at the finish Doran was ahead by only one boat length. In third place Rosie Pye was
crewed by her husband Neil. The second races saw a repeat of the first with Myers and
Doran continuing their battle which Doran won by a similar margin. The third race again
had Doran and Myers at the front of the fleet, but this time it was Myers who took line
honours with a short lead.
Sunday started with a similar wind conditions. The fourth race
started after a short postponement and at the first mark Keith Martin was followed closely
by John Best crewed by James Cole. Behind them Doran was just in front of Tony Lyall
crewed by Colin Burns. As the race progressed Best overhauled Martin, and Doran got in
front of Lyall. At the finish Best was 20 metres in front of Doran who was closely
followed by Martin and Lyall. The fifth race again saw Martin leading at the first mark
but this time followed closely by John Berry crewed by Andy Edwards. Behind them Tony
Lyall crewed by Colin Burns was just in front of Doran/Phillips. After the first reach the
two leading boats misread the wind shift and found themselves struggling with their
spinnakers. Doran who had dropped his spinnaker produced a lead of 200 metres at the end
of the lap. On the next beat Best/Cole pulled through and reduced the lead to only 50
Metres, but Doran maintained this difference to take the gun.
The sixth race followed with the breeze now at about 15 knots
and gusting. Martin, Lyall and Doran all made port starts and made the first mark in that
order. A tight spinnaker reach followed with Martin keeping his lead although Doran got
past Lyall. These three leaders were never far apart for the rest of the race. At the last
mark Martin had a small problem with his spinnaker drop allowing Doran to get an overlap
and beat him to the line by only two seconds.
The Oxford Tankard Trophy was later presented to the winning
pair Peter Doran and Richard Phillips.