At 0830 there was hardly sufficient wind to disturb the surface of the lake. And the previous evening the forecast for 1100 was 14 knots and gusts to 30 knots which was why the Trustees withheld a decision on whether to sail until the morning. They said YES and the final race of the 2021 season would start at 1100! So a dozen or so racers and their supporters assembled from 1000 onwards to compete on the water and chat around the clubhouse.

The fleet were assembled on the Start Line and milled about for a few minutes waiting for the Race Hut to sound the 3 minute gong which happened a few moments after the last competitor left the pontoon. From a few gusts of 20 knots 5 minutes before the race (Which caused a few helms to spill the wind very rapidly and thus avoid shipping a few unwelcome litres of lake water. But some did not! Ed) you will see in the video of the Start below that the fleet had to work quite hard to get going on the breeze immediately available when the gong sounded. Two helms sailed dangerously close to the Start line and risked being over it…but they were clear when the Start gong sounded and they led the fleet out on a port tack in the leg towards the first mark (Buoy A).

Do look at the tighter angle on the wind that Kelly Tripp (303 Blue #11) managed to sail against that achieved by Martin Norman (Liberty White #23). This set Kelly up very nicely to round the first mark (Bouy A) with a healthy lead over the fleet. Kim Sparkes (303 White #8) chose to extricate herself from the bunch of boats following Kelly and Martin by tacking away on starboard and then returning to port tack when she had clear air. Then she sailed above the mark and was able to sail into the mark on starboard tack which gave her right of way over the boats approachng Buoy A on port tack! And well done to Peter Wagner (Liberty Blue #25) who also came into the mark on starboard tack in front of KIm. (It makes life so much easier! Ed). Do try to find yourself and see whether you might have chosen a different route.

Somehow Steve Farmer (303 Blue #2) managed to squeeze (No touching eh Steve! Ed) his boat between Peter Wagner and KIm Sparkes and she was followed round the mark by Derek Preston (Liberty White #24) and Martin NOrman on his outside. Then Ann Frewer (303 Red #5) came in on starboard tack also but decided to give Derek and Martin a wide berth! She was followed by Imogen Fletcher (303 Red #10).

Peter Wagner managed to keep his second place, chasing Kelly who was stretching her lead on the run from Bouy A to C, and Peter was closely followed by Steve, Kim, Derek and Martin. Kelly had a commanding lead as she rounded Bouy C and started the longer run downwind to Mark D.

Result for Race 13 of Summer Series is:

  1. Kim Sparkes – 303 Sail White #8
  2. Derek Preston – Liberty Sail White #24
  3. Kelly Tripp and her crew James Thomas – 303 Sail Blue #11
  4. Martin Norman – Liberty Sail White #23
  5. Peter Wagner – Liberty Sail Blue #25
  6. Steve Farmer – 303 Sail Blue #2
  7. Imogen Fletcher and her crew Maggie – 303 Sail Red #10
  8. Tom Phillips – 303 Sail Yellow #4
  9. Ann Frewer and her crew Meg Warren – 303 Red #5 RTD

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