Saturday 16th February

We had 9 skippers for event 4 in the Winter series DF95.

The course was set on a bias and starting from under the bridge. One lap, just to see how it went, had us beating up to the half way mark on the near side. Across the pond to the far side and then a reach across and another back to the pump house and concluding in an ‘M’ shaped course.

Derek nominated himself as score master being the first one home. He repeated his success up until race 6 when he decided to leave out a race for a friendly chat. Tony lent out his boat for a couple of races, where it’s been decided as, similarly to the Lasers, when you lend out a boat to a guest skipper you get an average of your score or their score if better. You can’t lose, so this is encouraged to do, but you cannot win the first couple of races and then leave them to it.

After race six we had a coffee break and, apart from the first race, the rest were all two laps. Derek continued where he left off and really only had Gordon on his heels. The first wins were by nearly half a lap, but by the end of the racing as Derek tired we were all coming in just after  him and we had learnt most of his route. Race nine had another lent out boat, but for just the one race.

The scores in the end after race 12 had Derek and Gordon on the same score of 25 points, but then as you take off the discards, Derek wins. Eric Austwick was in third place.

We had some good racing and we did it all in ‘A’ rig.

Tony. W

Here are some belated results for the DF95s

15th December 2018

As storm Deirdre passed over the coastline, five foolhardy skippers tested their skills in C rigs and managed just a handful of races before the horizontal rain set in. A mixture of calamities, including Peter and myself being hooked up and drifting to end of the lake not to mention a blown servo and last but not least a broken jib pivot cord added to the ‘enjoyment’! Congrats to Gordon as the results reflect some excellent course management and yacht maintenance.

Garry Benson

Sailing Secretary

Saturday, 19^th January 2019

With quite a few regulars missing four skippers from Fleetwood made the 12pm start joined by two visitors from Scotland who must have completed at least a 500 mile round trip to come to the event. With the wind from ESE it made course setting difficult, half the length of the lake was used and a simple sausage course set. One lap was sailed for the first two races which was extended to two for the rest of the day. The wind swung around and changed strength quite often during just about every race which allowed for some tactical racing. We were joined after race five by Tony, John also put in a cameo appearance for three races. Gordon B. took the honours followed by Gordon R. who was racing his new 95 for the first time and got better as the afternoon went on. Peter was third and supplied us with a nice shiny refurbished buoy to use as the windward mark. For Bill it was a day to forget as several new boat issues plagued him all afternoon, his boat only being put together the night before. All in all a pleasant, good natured afternoons sailing with a reasonable A rig breeze, bring on the warm weather!

Report by Gordon Bayliffe