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  Autumn Open Regatta, 2024

Happily, as the season has worn on, the weather for our regattas has improved. All the UK's Saturday downpours and thunderstorms missed us and we bathed in warm sunshine and gentle breezes all day. Sunday was duller, with just one light rain shower, but the sun was back for the prize giving.  Proceedings kicked off with the Under 30s race, for which there was a great turnout of seven yachts, most of which were new to this regatta.  Tom Wildman on Skylark unfortunately had to retire when the carbon gaff failed, but the other six enjoyed a good race lapping Cantley Reach in the north easterly breeze. Jasper Richardson on Ladybird took the honours and the Jenner Trophy, winning by 13 seconds from Peter Cullum on Starlight Lady.

After a good break for lunch, the pursuit race began with Valkyrie II leading the way and  Harrier setting off five minutes after her.  With the lightish wind, conditions clearly favoured the faster boats with bigger rigs and most of the earlier starters were eventually overtaken.  Alice Rose eventually worked her way through the fleet to the front; a lead she held until the dying seconds of the race, when Ladybird slid past to win.  Jessie May and Morning Calm also managed to overtake Farthing towards the end and onlookers at the pub had a grandstand view of the exciting finish.

About twenty members stayed to enjoy an evening meal together in the pub and another good social occasion was had.

Sunday dawned with the light north easterly to easterly wind still in situ, making course setting quite a challenge, especially with the strong equinoxal tides.  As the flood tide set in, its adverse effect grew greater when sailing against it and, while this was manageable in open airs, Langley Woods defeated many boats as the morning wore on.  With a buoy down near the factory and the second mark close above Langley Woods, the almost three lap course became very tricky on the final passage downriver past the trees.  Gallingly, for those stuck there at the time, Tamara somehow glided straight through by hugging the windward bank and she became the only slower boat to have a respectable finish, ending up in seventh place.  Ladybird won again, by a mere three seconds from Starlight Lady, with Farthing in third.  Puck persevered, through lunchtime and the afternoon briefing, finishing as the third race began, a full hour after everyone else.  Full marks for sticking it out!

Much to everyone's relief, the top mark was brought down below Langley for the last race, but with a tack away from it in light airs, it was extremely difficult to round and many found themselves being swept upriver above the mark against their will.  The initial four rounds were shortened to not quite three again, although this still made it very tight for the slower boats, with Stella Genesta just squeaking home 81 seconds before the 4pm cut off time.  Ladybird would have made it a hat-trick, but a one minute penalty dropped them down to second place behind Starlight Lady.

Ladybird went home with both the John Mann Trophy for the best boat built before 1940, for which all three races count and she also took the Nelson Trophy for overall winner.  The weekend presentations were followed by that for the Diamond Jubilee Trophy (best six races from the Spring, July and Autumn Regattas, with one result needed from each event) won by Vixen on the strength of her strong performance at the first two events.  The Yare Autumn Cruiser Series also concluded at this event, being comfortably won by Farthing with just 6 points from the three events.  Second, with 16 points, was Jessie May.  Melinda took the Fast Division Trophy, Sabrina 2 the Medium and Tamara the Slow.  First Northern based boat, not already having won a trophy, was Starlight Lady, with Morning Calm taking the Southern equivalent.  Harrier claimed the Anchor Trophy for last place.

Proceedings then wound up with the raffle (the original plan of a raffola being abandoned due to pressures of time) before most people dispersed at the end of another successful event.

 

last edited on:  23/09/2024 at 12:49   by: The Editor