This regatta was rather more incident free than the last
one held at Cantley. Saturday afternoon saw a good breeze and 11 yachts
competing on a course with the top buoy laid above Langley, necessitating a tack
against the tide past the trees there. Opinion was divided as to whether
this was a good idea or not, but it was at least more challenging than a two-way
reaching course on Cantley Reach. Perhaps predictably, the boats with the
taller rigs, Zephyr and Melody, came out best in the conditions.
Sunday, as forecast, had very little breeze and what there
was dropped out as the race progressed, meaning that only the faster boats were
able to complete the course. Dryad was able to take advantage of some
favourable wind shifts and finished comfortably ahead of Wisp and Cuckoo, who
crossed the line side by side, just ahead of Melody. After Zephyr had
finished, the breeze then died away completely, with the steam from the factory
rising vertically, and all the other competitors were forced to retire, being
completely unable to make any way against the strong flood tide.
The lack
of wind also led to an prompt decision to cancel the afternoon race. However, this was no real hardship as we all enjoyed sitting outside the Reedcutter public house listening to
the folk group Jigsaw, whose brand of entertainment added much to the
pleasantness of the sunny lunchtime.
And the incidents? Modwena suffered broken gaff jaws. Again. Dryad's furling gear came apart with a resounding crack, after 25 years of loyal service and one boat, which shall remain nameless to protect the guilty, carried away one of the red posts marking Puck's piling. You have been warned...
Results
Saturday pm - Buckenham Trophy: 1. Zephyr (Richie
Dugdale) 2. Melody (Mark Wells) 3. Rogue (David
Smith) 4. Dryad (David M. Walker) 5. Puck (John
Tunwell) 6.Nutcracker (Phil Leftley) 7. Shruff (Louise
Bowmaker) 8. Wisp (Chris Franks) 9. Modwena
(Mark Cassidy) 10. Golden Moon (Duncan Ellis) Rtd.
Lucky Breeze
Sunday am - Commodore's Trophy: 1. Dryad
(David M. Walker) 2. Wisp (Chris Franks) 3. Cuckoo
(Simon Lampert) 4. Zephyr (Richie Dugdale) 5. Melody
(Mark Wells) Rtd: Puck, Shruff, Lucky Breeze, Rogue, Golden Moon
Sunday pm - race cancelled due to lack of wind
Overall - Nelson Trophy: =1. Zephyr =1.
Dryad 3. Melody 4. Rogue 5. Wisp
6. Puck 7. Shruff 8. Golden Moon 9. Lucky
Breeze 10. Cuckoo 11. Nutcracker 12. Modwena