British Moth Open at Medley Sailing Club

Seventeen British Moths compete for the Moth Bowl on the Thames © Roger Redknap

Seventeen British moths competed for the converted Moth bowl at Medley Sailing Club on the Thames today. Six visiting boats together with four lady helms participated in the event.

Due to the recent heavy rains, causing the river to be running high and fast and a forecast for very light winds in the direction of the stream, it was touch and go as to whether the event would go ahead at all. However in the event the waters did subside sufficiently for a decision to be taken to proceed with the racing.

Very light winds accompanied the start of the first race, and the trick was to try to be first out of the pack on the windward side of the river to avoid the strongest part of the adverse stream. Ian Miller, Ian Howlett, and David Cannon got away at the front with the rest jockeying for space across the river. Those that tried to buck the stream found themselves progressing very slowly and loosing places. The only place to be was along the bank, which shallows dramatically towards the Perch corner, testing the nerve of the contestants and their racing rules knowledge on “overlaps at continuing obstructions”.

Colin Hall extricated himself from the pack and joined the tussle at the front. The stretch from buoy 3 up to the top turning buoy 5 took us again alongside the river edge with centreboards grounding at times. Ian Howlett reached the mark first but thinking that the course continued up to buoy 6 carried on until David Cannon and Colin Hall rounded mark 5 to return down stream. The leaders threaded them selves through the starboard following pack and made it a procession back down the river to the turning mark off the clubhouse. This continued for the second lap up to the Perch corner where the wind headed the leader David Cannon who had to put a tack in to get back out of the stream. Colin and Ian managed this corner better and pinched up sufficiently to avoid the tack relegating David to third place. This was the final outcome at the finish without further mishap with the buoys.

The second race was shortened up to mark 4 due to the dying winds and the prospect of lunch. Ian Miller, Terry Mason, David Cannon, & Peter Styles made it to the front vying for the bank side. Colin Hall rounding the Perch mark, came out of the pack to press for the lead up the reach. Finally taking it from David on the way back. At the bottom turn, the shortened course flag was flying and verbal warning was given. On reaching the turning mark Colin, in the lead, continued up the river, only to find that David turned and was away towards the finish first. Colin turned and managed to extricate himself from his aberration, rounding in front of Terry, with the three finishing in the order of rounding.

A great lunch followed, provided by a number of ladies of the club. However during the feasting the wind dropped even further, and once again postponement of racing was a distinct possibility. There were flutters in the trees, which encouraged the Race officer to start the third race at the due time. The fleet was stretched across the river at the gun almost at a standstill. Four boats just managed to make their way to the front, gaining and loosing ground tacking back and forward into the stream and back to the edge. Peter, Tina, Colin & David painfully proceeded towards the first mark, changing places whilst hardly moving forward at all. Finally a breeze conjured it self up which propelled Colin around the buoy first and David second. In the lull Ian Howlett managed his way along the bank and made it to the mark third. Meanwhile the race officer decided to finish the race at the next mark, which was brought down stream to relief of the fleet.

After tea and cake provided at the club, there was an encouraging breeze, which triggered the expectations of a reasonable fourth race. David Taylor popped out first in the middle of the line, and in the strongest part of the adverse stream. By all accounts this should not be possible, but it was. Ian Howlett and Peter Styles followed him along the bank, where Ian, with local knowledge, worked his way to the front at the Perch corner, stretching his lead up the straight. Peter was close on the heals of David, up and down the river, as Ian disappeared in to the distance. The course, in the dying breeze, was shortened, with Ian, David & Peter finishing in that order.

Overall Results:

1st Colin Hall
2nd Ian Howlett
3rd David Cannon
4th David Taylor
5th Ian Miller
6th & 1st Lady, Tina Hardyment