BDS-UK Contender Travellers' Series Round 3 at Oxford Sailing Club

Contender travellers at Oxford © OSC

Contender travellers at Oxford © OSC

The third round of the Contender travellers' trophy at Oxford Sailing Club drew 18 boats 6 of which were delivered to the club after a long trip back from the Worlds in Australia.

Saturday saw more wind than forecast but it was very shifty the racing got under way promptly next to the reservoir wall with Stu Jones quickly assuming his regular position at the front followed by Tom Hooton and Si Mussell, Jones won by a big margin in the end having been closely followed until the last leg.

The next race saw the breeze freshen slightly with some harrowing gusts and direction changes. The start saw Ed Presley and Martin Frary recalled but it was Si Mussell who made the most of this pressure to take the lead of the race, followed by Stu Jones and Tom Hooton. Again the battle was fraught with only the last leg allowing Mussell to get a lead that made it look easy. Further down the pack the naughty wind pattern was causing much fun in the form of surprise capsizes. Martin Jones scored a 10 when a windward spill on the run threw him far from the boat.

The third race saw the wind become even shifter. This helped the tussle for the chocolates to involve lots of place changing, but of course the more difficult it is to read the wind patterns and the more that luck plays in the conditions the higher liklehood that Mr S Jones will pop out in front come the end; whilst declaring the whole time how spawny he is, utter rubbish. Jones took the bullet followed by Mussell and Ben Holden.

Contender travellers at Oxford - photo © OSC

So the overnight standings saw a Jones leading shock, followed by Mussell in second and Tom Hooton in third. Lots of Curry was eaten.

Sunday and the wind was light and very, very unpredictable, less than 10 knots so no pumping - boo! The race officer set a course and the race got under way with Tom and Si getting called on the start which instantly put them at the back as the rest of the fleet sailed on, with Gary Langdown finally recovering from his rustiness from a contender break to over come all and take the win in his brand new Somner boat followed by Rodger White and Stuart Jones in third place.

In race 5 the paying left side stopped, er... paying and three boats; Tony brooks, Ed Presley and Ben Holden eeked out a nice lead by going off the line on port. This sort of luck couldn't last with the swirling wind and it was only 'local knowledge' Tony who could stay away from the advancing pack. He took the bullet followed by a consistent Jones and Ben Holden coming back for 3rd. For the last race wind and shifty conditions took its toll on some of the fleet taking an early shower. 11 Contenders finished with the right honourable Mr Jones taking the win followed by Peter Dives and more local knowledge Chris Howe in third.

Thanks to the race crew and galley for a well organised weekend. The next round is at Burton SC on 26 April be there or be square!

Overall Results: