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Whitstable was at its best for the Wanderers, with wall to wall sunshine, good winds, excellent race management and a “happening scene” at the club. Eleven Wanderers took part, six Whitstable YC boats and five visitors. We shared the weekend with the Bytes on Saturday and Mirrors on Sunday.

Principal Race Officer Richard Davis of the WYC Merlin Rocket fleet was forced to delay the first start on Saturday until the wind filled in from the North East. The Wanderers then sailed two races back to back. The wind was around force 2 for the first race and the fleet got away to a good start. Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper led to the windward mark, but were overtaken on the reach by Jack Mann and Adam Wickenden, who held their lead until the last run. Gavin and Mark closed right up to their transom by the leeward mark, and slipped past to take the gun. Third were Philip and Jill Meadowcroft who stunned the fleet by appearing to have had their boat painted black! Peering closer, the assembled Wanderers realised that their crafty Chairman had acquired W1541, the new Porter Brothers boat in which Ian Porter won the 2003 Nationals, with “Korky” consigned to the knackers yard. Well!

You could have knocked me down with a copy of the class rules! It certainly improved their performance. Further back in the fleet, a private battle between Chris Partington of WYC sailing with Jon Carter, and Mike and Tiffany Nairn of Bewl Valley enabled Ian and Glenda Nevill to slip through to 4th. Vaughn Everett and Martin James of Bewl Valley were a solid 5th and Mark Fagg with Dave Howard 6th. Steve and Sally Turley were going well but had not read their sailing instructions quite carefully enough, missing a mark and having to double back. The rear was brought up by Julian Brazier “and various Braziers”.

By the start of race two the tide had started to ebb strongly, and with the light wind (force 2-3) this caused a mass attack on the committee boat by the fleet, some of whom were more accustomed to inland waters…. (The Whitstable boats should have known better!). This time Jack and Adam walked away from the opposition. Gavin and Mark recovered from a disastrous start and, reading the tide better, sailed through to second place. Other places were similar to race one, with Ian and Glenda pushing the Meadowcrofts for another well sailed 4th place, and Vaughn and Martin again 5th.

After a barbecue on the club veranda, we sat outside in the evening calm sipping our beer and watched a glorious sunset over the Isle of Sheppey. Who needs France?

Sunday brought more wind. No delayed start, and the fleet got away smartly at 1100 in a building sea breeze which steadily increased from force 3 to 4. There were some glorious white knuckle spinnaker reaches, and the accurately set run produced “death roll” possibilities, as Steve and Sally Turley can confirm! Jack and Adam, and Gavin and Mark, again dominated the front of the fleet with a ding dong battle which Jack won. Philip and Jill again took 3rd place in “Black Mischief” (same as white mischief but more daring…), and Mike Nairn, this time with daughter Lizzie were 4th.

By race 4 there was a good force 5 blowing, with a building sea and wind against tide. The fleet took it well and the battle for places continued. This time Gavin and Mark slowly drew ahead of Jack and Adam, only to lose it by trawling the spinnaker on the final run. (No edible fish were retrieved). Philip and Jill had been forced to retire due to gear problems. Their “fast pins” were giving trouble they said. (They seemed to go pretty fast in any case). Vaughn Everett and Martin James sailed their socks off to take 3rd, with Chris and Rose Partington a creditable 4th. Mark Fagg and Dave Howard showed steadily improving form and recorded two solid 5ths on the day. Paul Hewett and Malcolm Cove of Crawley Mariners, who joined the fleet on Sunday, revelled in the conditions (lots of avoirdupois) and were 7th.

As the Wanderers and Mirrors battled out at sea, nearer inshore WYC club racing was in progress with between 60 and 70 boats, ranging from Tornados through B14s, Merlins and Tasars to Lasers.

The wind continued to rise and the afternoon race was cancelled due to stress of weather. As we dried ourselves out and enjoyed a Cornish (or Kentish) pasty, the maroon went up and the Whitstable Inshore Lifeboat was launched in under two minutes, speeding off towards Seasalter. Prize giving and thank-you’s followed. We had all enjoyed a great weekend, and many thanks are due to Principal Race Officer Richard Davis and his team, especially Mike Fitzpatrick who drove the Committee Boat and was Asssistant RO. The rescue boat team also did a sterling job, but in the stronger winds on Sunday, the Wanderer fleet did extremely well.

Overall results: 1st W1087, Jack Mann and Adam Wickenden, BASC; 2nd W1282, Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper, WYC; 3rd W1541, Philip and Jill Meadowcroft, Salcombe YC; 4th W591, Vaughn Everett and Martin James, BVSC; 5th W1098, Ian and Glenda Nevill, WYC; 6th W989, Mark Fagg and David Howard, WYC; 7th W463, Chris and Rose Partington and Jon Carter, WYC; 8th W1243, Mike, Tiffany and Lizzie Nairn, BVSC; 9th W1492, Steve and Sally Turley, WYC; 10th W1469, Paul Hewett and Malcolm Cove, CMYC; 11th W411 Julian Brazier and family, WYC.

“Best Improver”, W1243, Mike, Tiffany and Lizzie Nairn. Won by the boat whose second day average score showed the best improvement over day one. The prize for this category was sponsored by McNamara Sails.

“Team Prize”. Three teams were formed from competitors, the team with the best aggregate marks overall being the winners. The results were:

1st “Meadowcroft’s Marauders”: Philip and Jill Meadowcroft, Jack Mann and Adam
Wickenden, and Mike, Tiffany and Lizzie Nairn.

2nd “Barr’s Barbarians”: Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper, Mark Fagg and David Howard, and
Vaughn Everett and Martin James.

3rd “Glenda’s Gladiators”: Ian and Glenda Nevill, Chris and Rose Partington and Jon Carter, and Steve and Sally Turley.

Gavin Barr. W1282, “Thistle”. 15th July 2003.