GJW Direct Firefly Nationals at Restronguet - Practice Race
by Caroline Edwards 26 Jul 2015 12:50 BST
26-31 July 2015
GJW Direct Firefly Nationals practice race at Restronguet © Sheridan Brown
Sponsored by GJW Direct
To a setting of a glorious Cornwall sunny day a forty strong firefly fleet set to the water. A few missing due to an incident with a Guinness barrel and some terrible A38 traffic.
A rather shifty day saw snakes and ladders with changing winds making predictions difficult. Local knowledge clearly paid with local Ben Lumby and Liz Evans in Kong as pathfinder taking a convincing lead. This was after a practice gate start to remind everyone what to do. A mostly well-behaved fleet...but a few took an interesting approach, the pathfinder having to take evasive action at one stage! The second start went smoothly.
A quieter evening for everyone to settle into accommodation. The club bar kindly kept open by the commodore and his wife (not quite the commodore's reception they were planning but good sales of ale!).
With very strong winds forecast for the next few days the party is likely to get started and watch this space for Duckhams nominations! With the students all set up with free camping and free entry for some, no doubt we will be kept entertained.
There should be close racing in all areas of the fleet. With a great prize line up with trophies, Rooster kit, Hyde Sails and local chandlery Versatile Marine all efforts will be worthwhile.
Wednesday should see the Gore and Marlow trophy race day. Originally the championship race, it is now part of the series. But a compulsory 10 mile course sorts out those with stamina and those without. Kindly sponsored by Marlow Ropes this year, the dockside prizegiving on the day should be another party started.
www.fireflysailing.org.uk