Link to Separate Photos of Winners and Those involved
Nineteen
Wanderers came to South Cerney SC, just south of Cirencester, on 21st
and 22nd May for our Inland Championships. Conditions varied from a flat
calm in race 1 to gale force gusts and lightning causing the abandonment
of one race. Race management was under the control of SCSC Commodore
John Penfold.
Race 1 was a light wind drift with Mike Hamilton and
David Oates setting the early pace. They were caught by Mike and James
Clayton just before the finish with defending champions David and Simon
Pegg in third place. The wind arrived in force for the second race and
the Claytons set a blistering pace with the Peggs in second place.
Further down the fleet a number of boat capsized with the Claytons also
being blown over as the wind increased. With the rescue fleet over
stretched the race officer abandoned the race and sent the remnants of
the fleet back to the shore. The wind moderated to allow a further race
on the Saturday which was won comfortably by National Champions Gavin
Barr and Mark Skipper with the Peggs second and the Claytons third.
On
Saturday night we held the fleet dinner and the traditional South Cerney
Tugboat Racing competition in the baronial splendour of the Royal
Agricultural College. Unfortunately a power cut at 6.00pm prevented any
hot cooking (and at that time nobody knew that power from a temporary
generator would not be available for another12 hours). The catering
staff at RAC responded magnificently with a wide variety of salads,
salmon, and cold meats which were scoffed by candle light. Tug boat
racing by candelight was awkward for the umpire but not awkward enough
for both David and Jill Davies to each collect red cards for unseemly
behaviour. Mark Skipper was pronounced the winner in a tense final. Elva
Wallis collected the Ladies title.
Sunday
dawned bright and clear with a force 2-3 blowing across the lake. In the
first race Russ and Liz Sharp found clear air on the first beat and
established an early lead. They were chased by Chris and Vicky King and
the Peggs. By the last beat the Peggs had pulled away from the Kings and
narrowly failed to snatch victory. Race 4 was held back to back and the
Peggs and the Kings set the early pace with Gavin Barr and Mark Skipper
chasing hard. On the third lap the Kings found a hole on the beat and
the Claytons used the shifts to challenge the Peggs and managing to
establish a small lead as they started the last beat. As the finish
approached the Peggs ducked under the Claytons and found a lift enabling
them to snatch first place with the narrowest of margins.
With
one race to go the Peggs had a single point lead over the Claytons with
Gavin Barr third. There had been 4 races and 4 different winners. Both
the Claytons and Gavin Barr were over at the start of the last race with
the Peggs in clear air. The Claytons recovered quickly to reach the
first mark in fourth place behind Mike and Jenny Harris and the Sharps.
The Claytons and Sharps both overhauled the Peggs on the beat, but their
downwind speed allowed them back to second behind the Claytons at the
last mark. Victory for Mike and James Clayton gave them equal points
with David and Simon Pegg and overall victory with the last race win.
Gavin Barr and crew Mark Skipper finished on equal points with the
Sharps, with the Sharps gaining third overall by their better
performance in the last race.
The
minor places were no less keenly contested with the Kings edging the
Harris’ by a point, and Mike Hamilton and David Oates likewise over the
Meadowcrofts. A better result in the final race kept the Wallis’ ahead
of the Davies’.
South Cerney SC catering was again first class and supervised, as ever,
by Gill Grant with enthusiastic support from Vicky King, Jean Whittaker,
and Caroline Barr.
Equally, the SCSC rescue services were active and busy – especially
during the storm on Saturday afternoon – and their participation was
much appreciated A thrilling and exhausting weekend.
Results:-
