Datchet Race Report - Bank Holiday, Sunday 28th August 2011...

As a Bank Holiday weekend, the Club was as quiet as the grave.... except, that is, for the Flying Fifteen Fleet!!! Despite seasonal absences, we had an excellent 7 boats racing today.  Breezes were Westerly, probably 8-12 knots and as fickle as can be.....!!!  Today was pretty much all about reading the shifts upwind, but the downwind legs were not without their moments!!  

The PRO laid a short 15 second line in the moorings, which was novel but seemed to work just fine. We had to dodge Osmo at the outset and it was a fabulously long first beat right over to Windsor Castle, thankfully using as much of the lake as they could manage!! The first race got away with a small pin end bias, and Mervyn/James, Roger/Tony and Howard/Richard got a bit locked in down there.  Hiking across to the pier, we found that Thames were suddenly pumping in large volumes of water (thank you, Rain Gods!!), which with volumes of water coming out in an unseen direction caused havoc in the apparent wind there. We all got hammered by those who tacked off for Windsor early. Coming off the middle of the line and at the top mark, it was The Humes making the pace. The Millars were right there with them, as were Mervyn and James.  Howard and Richard were not at all pleased, rounding fifth - and I think a very grumpy Admiral Firth may have been 6th.

On the next reach, Howard/Richard pulled out past a few and I think hit second place by the wing mark.  There was a right old tussle going on in mid fleet as Dom and Non-Dom set about opening a handsome lead.  Up the second beat it was again so easy to pick the wrong path. Mervyn and James leapt up into second, ahead of Howard/Richard, The Millars and The Admiral, sailing today with celebrity crew, Richard Stenson. 3536 went left on the long, long run downhill, but The Humes, Howard and Richard and the pack went right - a much better breeze out there on this occasion.  Mervyn, fighting a new but slipping spinnaker halyard cleat, ate spray and dropped into third. Somehow in the following bit, the Admiral crept past to the third position and that's how it finished. Words aboard 3536 have not been published.....

Race two took off in similar conditions, but the fleet trying largely to take the centre of the line to avoid the water melee off the pier head. Osmo escaped again, and the fleet took a more right handed track toward the top mark. This time The Admiral had made no mistakes and was right up there vying for the lead with the Humes.  Then a little shift here and a little veer there, and the Humes were through and away.  A fierce battle commenced between The Admiral with Richard Stenson, and Howard and Richard. Tacks were swapped and at very close quarters the pair of boats approached the top mark. Both tacked on to port to lay the mark with the Admiral ahead. Howard and Richard opting to sit on the Admiral's stern port quarter as the mark arrived, effectively locking down the Admiral. This was never going to stop Mike and Richard who threw in a tack to starboard right on the mark - much shouting and Zimbabwean swear words, but Howard and Richard squeezed past - then a puff in the big black spinnaker and they were gone.... Lots of place changing in the pack in this race I would say - and at the finish, after an ever so tight and puffy spinnaker reach, The Admiral took 3rd, The Millars sailed really well into 4th, Mervyn/James 5th (Still cursing that slipping halyard....), John Watling in his fabulous woody (going worryingly quickly for a first race) was 6th, and Roger/Tony a close seventh.

The VC was apparently touring rowing venues for a summer holiday .....