admin Date , October 26, 2025 Sailing Previous Blog Testing the Safety Boat Last Comments (0)
The Clocks have gone back, grey days have returned, but a good number of sailors turned up for the final races of the Autumn Series.
It wasn't the North Wind but a Westerly that blew cold. A nice steady wind at about 8-10 mph. Very few gusts. So we prepped the boat, set up the cameras and launched the Toura and set the sails. With the westerly pushing us onto the bank we needed a little help to get out, but once out the steady wind was fine to sail with and against.
Two Raters were in the Race ahead of us, probably doing 2 or 3x our speed. As they passed us we were showered with spray. The first race started and were were in third place until the fist pontoon then the Phantom and the lasers and even the OK's and Lightning zipped on up the river leaving us to pretend we were out for a lazy days cruise. By the time we were halfway up the course the fleet were bearing down on us having completed the first mark. We manged two laps of the three lap race finishing a few hundred yards behind the leader. Even with our good handicap this doesn't help much. I had chatted with the commodore about ideas for helping souls like us improve our racing. He wondered at a good head start of a few minutes might spice things up. I suggested perhaps a lap or two, AND the handicap.
Less competitors and it looked like we had a great finish coming in seconds after the leading OK and a Phantom. But in fact we had been lapped and only managed two laps to the other boats three. The light was already going when we finished, not that there was much to start with , but as promised as we finished and brought the boat back ashore the rain started. Not much and not enough to dampen our spirits. Next time we might finish in the same lap.
