The day of the Southerns dawned grey and windy with a 20 mph wind forecast. Despite this fifteen boats turned up to take part, all but one of them being members of the Association: the one non-member was allowed to sail alongside the others but retired after an incident in the first race.

Most of the boats were from the home club. Of the three visiting boats two were used to being sailed on the River Crouch, their helms being from Eyott SC and Up River YC. The other visitors were Mike Tully and his daughter Emily who were paying a return visit to Jon and Verna Hunt’s club after the latters’ trip to Kinvara SC (reported elsewhere in this issue).

The weather for the day was much as expected: a stiff breeze from the south east ran down the lake, particularly along the tree line on the North Bank, and the day was punctuated by rain showers at frequent intervals. A cynic might have described it as a typical English summers’ day.

The first race was started, just as the rain began, from a committee boat in the north east corner of the lake, thus giving a beat down the lake to the first mark. Initially several boats appeared to be well placed, including local helm Jon Hunt, sailing in a borrowed FRP (10049) as the Hunts had lent their own boats to other entrants. However it was Matt Pickett (9812) who led round the first mark to port, followed by Alan Warren (9851), a new member of the home club, with Andy Dale (9891) on his shoulder. There was then a hairy run down the lake to the next two marks. The beat back up the lake was frustrating as the wind continued to shift violently from south easterly to north easterly and back; sometimes it veered more than 180 degrees, causing some of the boats to appear to be beating from side to side of the lake without making any progress up the lake! Behind the leaders there were several tussles, with boats changing places in the middle of the fleet. Behind them, the boats at the back of the fleet were mostly in survival mode! One boat lost its mast, the shroud plate having pulled through the GRP deck, and consequently retired. By the end of the race, Andy Dale had come through into first place followed, in turn, by Matt Pickett, Peter Moulton, Mike Tully, and John Stuchbery.

The two afternoon races both had starts in the rain, with the start line being a projection from the race box. Most boats started on port tack and their helms were consequently looking over their shoulders to check their position in relation to the flag pole and the transit in front of it. Fortunately there were no recalls despite this difficulty.

In the second race Andy Dale led from start to finish, and was followed home by Matt Pickett and Peter Moulton, Alan Warren and Mike Tully – in that order.

By the time of the third race the weather had taken its toll; the wind had not abated, and was still very shifty, and only six of the fittest helms ventured out – ironically they were rewarded with some sun in the second lap. The finishing order for this race was the same as for the second race and the six weary helms returned having survived the vagaries of the day’s weather.

Unusually the results for the three races were very similar, those for the first three places being identical. The race organisers thus had a relatively easy task in determining the prize winners; the problems lay in determining positions further down the fleet!