High winds, rain, a little sun and strange adventures with the
windward mark featured in a good weeks racing for the
Wind and rain meant the Angela Beaman
Trophy on Saturday was cancelled, so dressing up gear has to be put away until
next year. 19 boats started the Helford race on Sunday in a fresh westerly force 5 with
stronger gusts. Starting from Water
Tower the fleet beat over to
The Mylor race on Monday brought slightly
less wind from the south west. From a
start by St Just, the fleet had a long beat out of the harbour to Headland by Pendennis. Avocet (Doug Sharps), Atalanta (Alex Davey)
and Amalthea (Roger Wood) and Diomedes (Richard
Beaman) set the pace with Samaki (Alan Williams) and
Racing on Tuesday and Wednesday was cancelled because of high winds.
St Mawes day produced a gentle westerly
2-3, sun and a race in the bay. All 28
boats turned out for an absorbing tactical race on a trapezoid course. On the first beat a shift gave an advantage
to those who went right. Atalanta (now helmed by Chris Brown) led
at the weather mark from
On Friday (Royal Cornwall day) the fleet sailed two races in Carrick
Roads in a southerly 3-4. In the first
race the fleet beat from Water Tower, short tacking down the St Mawes shore all the way to Zone, by St Anthony’s Light. After 40 minutes Amalthea led round the mark from Avocet,
In the second race, the fleet beat to a mark north of Black
Rock. Most of the fleet tacked all the
way down the St Mawes shore, but Atalanta and Avocet
crossed early to approach the mark on starboard. Amalthea
led the fleet out from St Mawes shore. Atalanta
crossed her but could not lay the mark, tacked and then tacked inside Amalthea to make her rounding. However, Atalanta
picked up the mooring line, which became caught between her keel and
rudder. Unable to free herself, she went
slowly downwind towing the mark as the rest of the fleet approached on port,
bearing off to try and catch the mark and round it. Amalthea
led round the leeward mark, and although some boats went down the St Mawes shore, it was the
Saturday produced driving rain and a fresh southerly so only 16
boats turned out. Once again, it was a
beat down the St Mawes shore to a mark north of Black
Rock. Avocet led from Athena,
A keenly contested week produced a different winner for each race. Overall, Amalthea (Roger and Claire Wood) on the
week with consistent sailing.
They won narrowly from Athena,
ending David Liddington’s eleven year run of wins in
Falmouth Week. Avocet was third and
On the social side, the fleet went tenpin bowling on Saturday and Puffin’s crew triumphed in both men’s and women’s events. On Tuesday and Wednesday the Windy Golfers Society was activated, with wins for John Williams and Bob Tate.
There was an excellent dinner at the Kings Head at Ruan Lanihorne on Wednesday and the week concluded with a splendid barbecue and prize-giving on Saturday at Lanhay hosted by Dudley and Simone Kennett.
Overall Results
2 Athena (David Liddington) ((DNF),1,6,4,2) 13 pts
3 Avocet (Doug and Ian Sharps) (3,7,(13),3,1) 14 pts
4
5 Thunderer (John Williams) ((8),2,7,6,4) 19 pts
James Skellorn
August 2008