FISHERS GREEN COMET OPEN – SATURDAY 16 APRIL 2011

As is usual for any regatta the wind governed the state of play for the day.  Fickle, tricky and fun.  Its light shifting airs (F1-2) challenged both the race officer and the participants to the edge of their competitive resolve.

Twelve racing Comet Sailors, including 2 with Comet XTRA rigs participated in the day’s events.  At the race briefing condolences were said for Robin Ballam a regular annual visitor to FGSC, who had passed away earlier in the week.  The FGSC Race Officer John Donoghue was already on the water, pitting his will and cunning against the variable air to establish a start line and a course that would include a decent beat.

The wind swung round during the start sequence of Race 1 to give the fleet a running start.  The ‘run’ however was more like a ‘drift’.  Some boats drifted better than others to be amongst the first batch around the windward mark.  The second leg became a run, the third a reach, and the fourth another run.  With a close hauled beat and a couple of tacks we navigated through the start line back up to the first mark again.  First Comet 711, Second Comet 532 and Third Comet 800.

Although the start and the course for Race 2 hadn’t changed, the cunning of the race officer lured the wind into giving us a beat for the first leg of the race.  This time leg 2 was a reach and leg 3 a beat up to the third mark.  A strategically placed island and shifting airs on glassy waters challenged the fleet as to which side of the island to round to mark X hidden behind.  The Xtra’s which had been competing well in the earlier race found the shifting down of wind gear too much for their craft and retired from this race.  The first 3 positions were the same as in Race 2 – revealing those that actually do have a real ‘nose’ for the wind.  First Comet 711, Second Comet 532 and Third Comet 800.

Lunch was amazing!  Spicy pasta bake with sausages and Caesar style salad (I made sure that I had some of the leftovers the next day too!).  Fired up we all took to the water for the third and last race of the day.

The race officer manoeuvred some of the marks and the race got off to a rustling start.  The rustling didn’t last however and before long we were playing cat and mouse again to find any breeze available.  Those with the ‘noses’ of course just smelt it out.  Craft moved several positions up and down the fleet as their luck changed.  It was just a matter of crossing your fingers to hope that the wind was kind to you next to the finish line.  Comet 323 creeped in to steal 2nd place with Comets 711 and 800 being positioned the same as in earlier races in positions first and third.

Teas were provided complete with homemade tartlets and Brian Conroy, (FGSC Commodore) greeted the visitors and presented the prizes.  Special recognition was made to Brian who had achieved his first ever three 1st positions in a single regatta.

1st Comet 711     Brian Welham                   Maidenhead

2nd Comet 532    John Coppenhall              Hunts

3rd Comet 323    Annette Walters              Welwyn Garden City

 

9th Comet 41       Mo Allen                             1st Fishers Green boat

 

1st Lady (after main prize positions)        Jenny Colclough               FGSC

 

Big thanks were given to:

John Donoghue –             Race Officer
Clive Gladwin                    Rescue Boat

Andrew Chadwick           Galley

Alan and Liz Frances       Organisation and Administration

 

And also to Nora Jaggers and Lynne Rochat who helped out with the Race Officer and Rescue crew at short notice.

Without all of your contributions this day would not have been as successful.

Karen O’Brien
FGSC Comet Class Captain
Comet 178