What a difference a year makes. After two years of dreary damp weather, the Huddersfield SC Heron / Mirror Open was at last blessed with a lovely sunny day. Perhaps the lovely weather also helped double the number of Herons from 4 to 8, with 5 Huddersfield boats and three visitors from Derwent, Redesmere and Yeadon SCs. The author of this report had also come to the conclusion that, after two years of Heron sailing, a new set of sails might help to improve his second and third positions of the previous two years, and is now rather embarrassed to be reporting on his first (and hopefully not the last) victory in this event.

The first race was sailed under extremely testing conditions, as the almost non-existent light breeze shifted and dropped to nothing throughout the race. Philip Lund, however, seemed to have no problems as he led from the start and then got well away from the rest of the field at one particularly tricky mark. He would no doubt have won had he not mistaken the shorten course signal for a finish signal and come ashore, only to realize that he hadn’t crossed the line. This mistake allowed Lindsay Molyneux and Jim Robison to claim the first two places, with Philip still managing to cross the line in third place ahead of the rest of the drifting fleet.

After lunch the breeze filled in and the afternoon conditions were much better. Tim Gatti made a good start and was in the lead for three laps before Andrew O’Connor managed to pass him. Perhaps the new sails, with a 79% genoa, made the difference against the standard jib of Tim’s boat.

Although home sailors managed to claim the first three positions in the overall results, I am sure that everyone including the visitors enjoyed an almost perfect days sailing. Lindsay Molyneuux, with her father Andrew, came a very creditable second, as this was Lindsay’s first sail of the season during a weekend break from University – a perfect antidote to the stresses of academic life? Credit must also go to young Topper sailor Andrew Robinson, and his crew Richard Woodward, who succeeded in sailing the club’s rather battered and uncared for Heron into seventh place.

On a technical note the first, third and fourth boats were using 79% genoas and the second and highest positioned crewed boat, a standard jib. It goes without saying that the author is delighted with his new set of sails from Northern Sails (see advert in Heron News) and just wished he had bought them two years ago.

Please note:The results shown here have been updated from those original published which were based on ISAF 2002-04 rules in error. The results shown here follow the ISAF 2005-08 rules.