Race Report - Sunday 30th January....

A crisp but blue sky morning greeted an eager fleet of eight FF teams, all snug in their drysuits.... but sort of glowing.... with a good 10mph North Easterly. The racing was coincident with the Topper Midwinters, (220 entrants) but there seemed plenty of room and no toddlers were mown down (as far as we know....). The starboard handed course though was a shade windward/leeward - the first reach being a bit too tight for spinnakers and the other downwind legs being a tad blunt.... The wing mark was tucked behind the pier which was unusual - I thought at one point from the Clubhouse that Ian/Kevin were tempted to go under it, but sadly they chickened out. I've always wondered if an FF would fit.... Eight boats as a fleet was was pretty good - Howard/Richard cried off with Sunday working excuses, and the VC didn't make the promised appearance in 3888 because of the cold bringing on his Jordan problem again ("Trouble with my Chest" is what he actually said when I phoned him....!!). No sign of Andy as I think Nadia is travelling. The Admiral though has been in touch by text today from Namibia where he is trying to convert the locals to Datchetman.... (must check the stats...)

The first race split quickly into two groups with a clear gap by the second windward mark. Ian/Kevin opened up a good lead from Mark/Tony, then followed by The Millars and John/Helen. The second group slipped back a little but Mervyn was leading it just ahead of The Stensons, then Steve/Simon and Roger/Kathryn. As the fleet came up to the Clubhouse mark for the final time, the first reach was too tight for spinnakers at the outset, with Ian/Kevin leading Mark/Tony by a good margin. John/Helen had managed to get past The Millars on the beat and rounded just ahead - getting the Vice Cap'n on the podium yet again!! Mervyn tells me his boat was on the speed today, but had hilarious tales of pointing the thing the wrong way, mark altercations and so on. I reckon though they are getting in the groove now.

From where I was standing over a hot tea in the lounge, the damned steam was clouding up the binos. Race two seemed to get away cleanly, with everyone streaming around the committee boat end on what looked a very starboard biased line. The fleet looked dauntingly close going up the initial beat - and the first three teams were very closely stacked at the top mark. This time it was Mark/Tony out front with Ian/Kevin really close on their heels. John/Helen rounded third. Then a small gap and it was The Stensons around 4th, followed by Steve/Simon who seem to be stepping up the speed in 3827 now. They were followed by Mervyn and The Millars. Midnight Rog managed to run over his spinnaker, so he was busy cutting things off trying to sort it out. The second time at the Clubhouse, the fleet was still close but the fleet order I think was settled. DM looked around to see that Kathryn had parted company with Midnight Rog, who was sharpening up his FF singlehanded skills - obviously not their day - ho ho!! Then we got pretty busy on jettyboy-duty trying to get The Midnight Team safely shore, which rather took the eye off the final lap. The PRO team have not yet posted the final results, but I think it was Mark/Tony (Hurrah!), Ian/Kevin then John/Helen.