A report compiled by Mike Harris and Philip Meadowcroft
 [Click on Images for Larger View].

More than 40 Wanderers and crews attended the annual training and racing weekend on May 10^th/11^th hosted, as always, by South Cerney S.C. the home club for Wanderer Racing Secretary Chris King and Wanderer Wardrobe Mistress Vicky King.

Training, mostly on the water, was lead by former National Champion Andy Whitelock – now the proprietor of  Dynamic Adventures Ltd.  Ian Porter of Porter Brothers, the new manufacturers of the Wanderer, also attended and provided additional training support (and even bending the Meadowcroft’s mast back into reasonable shape).

Saturday’s events focused on individual on the water training and assessment and the benefits became apparent the following day when the third race finished with the fleet much more closely bunched.

On the Saturday evening,  the Wanderer contingent invaded the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester for what is the poshest nosh on the (now extensive) list of Wanderer eateries.  After dinner Chris King lead the fun and games in the traditional South Cerney Tugboat Championships.  Not content with being placed fourth yet again, Elva Wallis wiped the floor with her competitors and was a worthy winner.

On the following day, all three races were sailed in a moderate but sustained westerly breeze, the scrap at the front of the fleet was between Jack Mann, Mike Harris, and Gavin Barr.  During the first race these three crews were in close order for two laps before Jack Mann and Adam Wickenden managed to pull away using their spinnaker on a particularly tight reach when the other crews decided not to.  Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper were pipped on the penultimate lap by Mike and Jenny Harris.  In the gusts there were planing opportunities on three legs – thanks to Race Officer Colin Grant. Peter and Elva Wallis carefully threaded their way through the fleet to come home fourth. (The Wallis’ record a fourth place with amazing regularity.)

In the second race, Jack and Gavin left the fleet a long way behind – the Harris’ and the Meadowcrofts failing to note the revised start line.  Steve and Barbara  Harvey put in a spirited effort holding third or fourth place for sometime before fading to seventh.  The finish was hectic, with Jack edging out Gavin  and the Harris’ finishing fast and gaining numerous places to come home third. The Wallis’ occupied their customary fourth place.

The final race started just as dark threatening clouds gathered and there was a 50 degree wind shift.  This caused a rather ragged start.  Vicky King, helming for the first time in a Wanderer event, and crewed by her son Andy Hines-Lindo,  took full advantage and was the first visitor to the windward mark closely followed by the Harris’ and Jack  and Adam.  The Harris’ spinnaker helped them to pass Vicky (sailing without a spinnaker) but only for a short period before Jack Mann took over the lead.  Vicky worked very hard in the closing stages and Gavin’s close encounter with the last mark and the consequent penalty enabled her to squeeze into third place.  Vicky has duly served notice of her helming ambitions.  We have been warned.

Catering at SCSC is still the best on the Wanderer circuit thanks to Gill Grant and her brigade.  Food and drink was available from the moment you arrived on the Saturday morning until the last person left on the Sunday evening.  Miraculous   Race and safety management is calm and unhurried.  The ingredients, in other words, for a happy and memorable weekend. 

P.S.  Fabulous news from the Gilberts.  Sally is expecting to produce a Wanderer cadet in September. 

Overall Results:

1^st Jack Mann & Adam Wickenden W1057 – British Airways SC          2 pts

2^nd Mike & Jenny Harris W796 – Shustoke SC                                        4pts

3^rd Gavin Barr & Mark Skipper W1282 – Whitstable YC                        5pts

4^th Peter & Elva Wallis W893 – Burghfield SC                                         8pts

5^th Chris King & John Bannister W940 – SCSC                                       10pts

6^th Vicky King & Andy Hines-Lindo W1363 SCSC                                  11pts

7^th Steve & Barbara Harvey W571 – Lyme Regis SC                             12pts

8^th Mike Hamilton & David Oates W992 - Civil Service SA                    13pts

9^th Philip & Jill Meadowcroft W1024 – Salcombe SC/Henley SC          15pts

10^th Jane & Derek Summers W197                                                           21 pts

11^th Colin Gilbert & Stephen Clampin W1163 - Hunt SC                         21 pts

12^th Mark Fagg & Tony Bamber W989 Whitstable YC                             22 pts

13th Chris Partington & Steve Turley W463 - Whitstable YC                   26pts

14^th Ces Holcombe & crew W1154                                                            29pts

15^th John Talbot & Jean Whitaker W602 - Wilsonian SC                        29pts

Others taking part:

Geoff & Marion Hall W98 – Mengeham Rythe SC

Celia & Martin Moule W1237 – Whitefriars SC

David Botteril & Anne Shaw W1547.

John & Ann Hobbs W1505