Stolen from Paul M

Initial wind was light from under the bridge but swung to over the dunes then from the far steps strengthening as the day progressed.
From 8 races there were 5 different winners!!
The 6m seemed to benefit in the lightest conditions (1st and 3rd in race one) as others struggled to get enough momentum to get round windward marks under the bank.
As the wind increased, even with a reduced starting deficit given by the (excellent) race team of Bob and Ian they were finding it hard going.
As the wind increased the Lasers came into their own with a string of top three results from both skippers just before and after lunch.
The DF95 and IOM’s were there or there about throughout the day but the DF’s proving difficult to catch later on in the day, even after handicap adjustments, as the wind increased.

A low turnout today, but a good day’s sailing (Mark went off to the Football at lunchtime … and Eric going through his third RMG winch this week) in a medium-light westerly wind.

Two rounds of df racing today. The afternoon session dominated by Olly with the diddy boats beating Fleet captain Bob into second, with Peter W storming to third with two late victories.

The evening session was glorious shift conditions. The front three of mark, Derek and Olly having some great battles up and down the lake with the winner often being settled with 5 boat lengths to go.

Olly got every shift right in the first few races before Derek hitting his rhythm and mark getting going later on after a consistent start.

Five DF sailors turned up in the wind and drizzle today, and looking out of the clubhouse window at the waves racing down the lake and over the causeway we wondered why …

Still, the rain stopped and the wind dropped (slightly), although a quick experiment with the B rig showed that C was a better choice.  Starting at the ‘yellow line’ of buoys, Andy shot off in the lead in the first race up to the top reds and back, romping home well ahead – a pattern that was to repeat, if someone (read Andy) got ahead, they tended to win by a good margin.  In the first race the others spread out in a gaggle behind, but as the day progressed there were some close finishes between the middle three boats.  Andy continued to dominate through most of the races, dropping only three wins out of the eight races sailed, these being shared one each by Ian, Peter Guest and Peter Iles.  Then Ian broke his mast stub, dropping the whole rig overboard, in race seven and the broken part couldn’t be extracted from the mast. As Peter Whiteside had to leave at lunchtime we did one more race to make the eight and called it quits.  Despite the mast failure Ian got a good second after Andy, followed by the three Peters, in the order Guest, Iles and Whiteside.

Wind shifting all over the place in the evening racing. fun competitive sailing.

Mark and Olly having a battle at the front of the fleet often having a “tack off” in the later races.

To sum the evening up in race 3 mark had a 30 boat length lead with a short beat to go before finishing 5that becoming becalmed

Ian S and Chris H mixing it just behind. Both pairs tying on points.

Andy and Peter both having moments of glory throughout the evening when the got the shift right.