Six Wanderers , comprising of three locals and three visitors contested the open meeting at Silverwing Sailing Club on 22nd April.

The fleet was greeted with a light and very variable south westerly wind, with race officer Roger Bennett getting the fleet off on time just as it began to fill in. Adam Wickenden crewed by Jack Mann picked up the first part of this breeze and led the fleet away, soon catching up the tail end of the club racing fleet, which had had to sail the first beat in no wind. Dave Irwin and Elaine Gildon were second to the first mark. The breeze did not fully settle during the first race, with the lead boat able to pull out a two leg lead at one stage; and every leg on the course was a beat for someone at some point. The first boat’s lead did not last long, and by the last leg Mike Powell and Vicky King had managed to pass Irwin and Gildon to finish only a few yards behind the leaders. Mike Hamilton and Mark Fagg came in third.

After lunch the wind had settled, allowing the race officer to set a new course. The line was very port end biased and Wickenden and Mann were just able to scrape an untidy port tack start and lead Mike Powell round the first mark. Mike Hamilton was able to pass both boats on the run and just nip round the gybe mark in the lead. This did not last long with Wickenden and Mann regaining the lead at the third mark. The positions remained this way until the finish, with Hamilton second and Powell third.

The race officer started the third race promptly after the second, which caught a number of the local boats out. Wickenden and Mann had not noticed the course change and initially tried to start on the start line that was used on the second race, resulting on them being last round the first mark. Mike Powell led round the first mark with Mike Hamilton in close pursuit, Hamilton being able to gain an overlap and the lead at the second mark. Once they had worked out the correct course Wickenden and Mann were able to retake the lead, with Mike Hamilton and Mark Fagg coming second, and Mike Powell and Vick King third, mirroring the overall positions.

1st   1087 Adam Wickenden / Jack Mann Silverwing SC     2pts
2nd   992 Mike Hamilton / Mark Fagg CSSA                             4pts
3rd    878 Mike Powell / Vicky King Crawley Mariners YC      5pts
4th  1288 Dave Irwin / Elaine Gildon Silverwing SC               8pts
5th  1038 Tim Robertson / Niamh Robertson RNLI               10pts
6th  1181 Ray Petty / Ian Hudspith Silverwing SC                13pts

Report by Adam Wickenden

Photos by  Saffron Gallagher