Wanderer Inland Championships at Bewl Valley Sailing Club

Wanderer Inland Championships at Bewl Valley © Saffron Gallagher

Wanderer Inland Championships at Bewl Valley © Saffron Gallagher

Ten Wanderers descended on Bewl Valley SC for the 2013 Inland Championships over the weekend of the 28th and 29th September.

The following questions were on everyone's lips:

• Could 2013 National Champion, Tim Robertson, now crewed by son Max, repeat his success?
• Would the Wanderer equivalent of the Loch Ness Monster, Mike Hamilton's spinnaker, be seen?
• Was Philip Meadowcroft's footwork while tacking up to the standard of Strictly Come Dancing?

The weather conditions were perfect over both days. An easterly wind blowing over the dam allowed the race officer set a trapezoid course (beat, reach, run, reach – with finish line set at the end of the second reach) and it remained that way for the two days. The racing was as close as anyone could remember, with the first two boats overall finally and only separated by tie break at the fourth call.

So close, in fact, that none of us sailing was paying any attention to anything other than our own individual battles. The eventual winners (whose job it is in the Wanderer class to write the report) did not expect to win – and thus paid no attention at all. Below is thus the collective wracking of several brains.

Race 1 started in a pleasant force 3 with a slightly port biased line. Last year's Inland Champions – Philip Meadowcroft, crewed by Adam Wickenden – got off to a good start, were first round the windward mark, and sealed a relatively straightforward first race win. Current National champion Tim Robertson, crewed by son Max, was second. Paul Yeadon and Liz North from Whitstable YC came third.

Race 2 saw the first win for Tim Robertson. It was a close battle between the Robertsons and Gavin Barr crewed by Mark Skipper. Barr tried to force Robertson out at the finish mark, but failed, and ended up losing the lead. Robertson was first, Barr second and Meadowcroft third. Colin Gilbert, crewed by nationals winning crew Niamh Robertson, was fourth.

Race 3 started off with Paul Yeadon in the lead, followed by Robertson and Meadowcroft. A 'water at the mark' error with Robertson at the end of the third run saw Meadowcroft doing turns for grazing the mark and dropping back to third. Light and indecisive winds allowed Robertson to pass Paul Yeadon and Liz North and take the lead with a lap to go. The Robertsons were able to hold on to this lead on the last lap as the wind strengthened to something like its forecast strength. Meadowcroft and Wickenden finished third.

Day 2 dawned with more breeze, building steadily, than the Saturday. As Saturday night was spent by most in the Wanderer tradition of fine dining this was fortuitous; a number of crews arrived better ballasted than they were the day before. The overnight scoreline saw the Robertsons with a healthy advantage of two 1sts and a 2nd, and Meadowcroft and Wickenden holding a 1st and two 3rds.

Race 4 started with a noticeable port bias to the start line. Paul Yeadon ran out of line at the pin end and was forced to restart, with the Robertsons, Barr and Meadowcroft all equally on the front of the line. On the second lap Paul found the excitement too much and decided to part company with his boat and hunt a Bewl brown trout. This was greeted by silent cheers from the Tim Robertson and Philip Meadowcroft in grim pursuit. The cheers were however premature; Paul was able to recover with the poise and style than only comes with years of practice, and barely lost the first two places. Meadowcroft was able to pass Robertson on a subsequent beat to take the lead and with much expectation approached the finish line. Alas it was not to be; race officer, Bob Warley, was enjoying our suffering and another lap was called for.

Paul Yeadon squeezed past Meadowcroft on the beat and a battle down the first reach ensued. Meadowcroft was not able to gain an overlap at the first wing mark. Slowing the boat on the rounding he was able to get to leeward on the run and just gain an overlap at the second wing mark. This was enough to get him ahead. Tim Robertson finished third.

Race 5 saw similar conditions to race 4. If anything the line bias was a bit stronger. The fleet split – some heading towards the clubhouse, with others (including Mike Hamilton and Patrick Duffy) heading right. Both sides paid more or less equally, with Paul Yeadon leading, followed by Gavin Barr. Robertson father and son, and Mike Hamilton now crewed by Sally Gilbert, talking over from Jean Whittaker. Philip Meadowcroft was hotly pursued by Bob Grainger, crewed by Julian Brown, (and now recovered from his rudder parting company with the transom on the previous day) and Patrick Duffy crewed by Tony McShane. Yeadon, now sailing very comfortably, was able to stretch his lead while the others battled out behind them. On the third beat Barr paid too much attention to covering Tim Robertson and both of them ended up overstanding the port tack layline massively. This was to have a decisive effect on the results. Meadowcroft was able to round the windward mark in second, followed by Bob Grainger, then Barr and Robertson. In the melee Robertson hit the mark which just let Patrick Duffy through. Yeadon, now well ahead, won and Meadowcroft was second, followed by Grainger then Barr. The Robertsons and Duffy were then battling for fifth, with a luffing match at the last mark. Robertson was able to gain an overlap on Duffy, and the two boats had sailed so high above the mark that Patrick Duffy and Tony McShane lost too much speed running down to the mark, allowing the Tim and Max Robertson to roll them as they crossed the finish line to take 5th.

The results after five races now stood at Tim Robertson with 2,1,1,3,5 and Philip Meadowcroft with 1,3,3,1,2. This gave them both 7 points with the discard. It was thus Robertson's last race 5th that gave Meadowcroft and Wickenden the event by a very narrow margin indeed.

First non-spinnaker boat was Patrick Duffy and Tony McShane from Whitstable YC, and first BVSC boat was Bob Grainger and Julian Brown.

Immense thanks to BVSC for unfussy and straightforward race management, yet again.

Overall Results:

Wanderer Inland Championships at Bewl Valley - photo © Saffron Gallagher