Wanderer Inland Championships at Bewl Valley Sailing Club

Philip Meadowcroft and Adam Wickenden add Inlands to Nationals title

Sixteen crews gathered at Bewl Valley SC over the September 29/30 weekend for this end of season ritual with racing calmly organised by the indefatigable Jeff and Audrey Warley. The weather was simply perfect with autumnal sunshine and a nearly full lake.

An attractive F2/3 northwesterly was building for the first race when the fleet made use of of Bewl's new floating jetty. This meant for the first time in Wanderer history a certain helm's trade mark long blue socks were kept dry throughout the weekend.

Race 1: The wind veered sharply seconds before the start of an Olympic course causing a lengthy postponement whilst the wind settled down. From the start Paul Yeadon and Liz North showed determination to retain the Dolphin Cup they won at the 2011 Inlands by coming home first but were not far from being caught in the closing stages by three chasing crews - Mike Hamilton/David Oats, Gavin Barr/Mark Skipper, and Philip Meadowcroft/Adam Wickenden in that order as the wind filled in from behind to make a breezy finish from the wing mark.

Race 2: The wind strengthened a smidgeon but was still perfectly manageable. Philip Meadowcroft /Adam Wickenden led all the way and built a considerable lead by learning how to cope with the wider than expected wind angles which made the windward beat a tad tricky.

Race 3: The wind continued to play tricks and had backed suggesting that the left side of the windward beat would be favoured. Such a suggestion needed to be dumped as the wind veered back during the first beat. Gavin Barr/Mark Skipper read this better than any other crew and won by a fair distance from Philip Meadowcroft who held off Paul Yeadon and Mike Hamilton.

Race 4: Saturday's sunshine turned to heavy white cloud as a substantial low pressure system was moving west across the country towards Kent. The wind was not less than F3, frequently F4, and on brief occasions F5 was recorded on the club's mid-lake apparatus. A slightly biased port startline and a windward mark in the southern part of the lake left crews having to make tricky choices. Go left towards the headland to get the inside of the wind bend whilst accepting less wind pressure, or go right into stronger wind. That choice had to be made on every lap, though as the wind filled in the choice of going right paid more and more.

Tim Robertson, sailing with daughter Niamh (at thirteen she's almost a veteran Wanderer racer) had another whoopsie with his spinnaker which collapsed just as it had done at the 2012 Nationals in Whitstable nearly three months earlier.

Chris King, hot foot from Kuwait to sail one of the last Wanderers to be built by Anglo Marine and keen to show son Andy the benefits of warm water sailing, suffered a snapped main halyard and the resulting capsize did not succeed in landing any of the renowned brown trout which inhabit Bewl's waters.

Philip Meadowcroft/Adam Wickenden had a relatively smooth passage to the winning line though they were pursued by a very determined Colin and Sally Gilbert who themselves managed to hold off the usual spirited finish from Mike Hamilton/David Oats.

Race 5: There was no doubt that Paul Yeadon and Liz North wanted to win this race and they did so quite handsomely with Tim and Niamh Robertson gaining another second place finish. The surprise 2012 National Champion began to feel the pressure as the marauding pack snapped at his and Adam's heels. A selection of senior moments (mainly to do with losing his balance whilst tacking briskly) occurred for Philip Meadowcroft during the course of which two successive marks were firmly hit with the boom. Tim and Niamh Robertson profited most from this to come second followed by Meadowcroft/Wickenden who managed, after two 360's to just keep ahead of Hamilton/Oats.

Overall, Philip Meadowcroft and Adam Wickenden won the event recording seven points after discard, two points ahead of Paul Yeadon and Liz North. One point then separated Mike Hamilton, Tim Robertson and Gavin Barr.

A massively enjoyable weekend played out with competitive fervour laced with plenty of laughs.

Overall Results: