Centenary Cup at Tamesis Club
by John Dunkley 19 Jun 2013 17:49 BST
16 June 2013
Centenary Cup at Tamesis © John Dunkley
Two firsts win Centenary Cup for Richard and Maddie Harris
Two clear firsts in two races won the Centenary Cup for Richard Harris and his young daughter Maddie in a keenly competitive 28 boat entry for the individual class handicap pursuit on the Thames at Tamesis on Sunday 16 June.
Sailing their Merlin Rocket Passing Cloud (1079), they proved too fast for their nearest rivals, Peter and Richard Mason in Bambusa, Merlin Rocket (847), who had a second and a third, finishing second overall. Another Merlin, Crescendo (607), sailed by Berry Ritchie and Peter Simpson, was third in the first race but did not race again in the afternoon, when second place went to the Firefly Skirmish (3615), sailed by Jamie and William McEwen. Third place overall went to the Laser RTM (197213), sailed by Marcus Chavasse.
Race Officer Brian Southcott set a complicated six mark course that
took the race up to Hampton Wick Railway Bridge with a two round
return to a buoy just upstream of Steven's Eyot followed by a similar
three round course to a mark just downstream of Trowlock Island.
A light to moderate south westerly wind gave a good beat upriver in the
morning, with a clear downstream run, but the afternoon race was
sailed in a much lighter breeze and the reduced fleet of 16 boats took
much longer to sail the course. Both races were finished on the water
from the club launch after one and a half hours sailing.
Overall Results:
1st Passing Cloud (MR1079) Richard & Maddie Harris
2nd Bambusa (MR 847) Peter & Richard Mason
3rd RTM (Laser 197213) Marcus Chavasse