Musto Skiff Open at Datchet Water Sailing Club

Musto Skiffs at Datchet © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

12 plucky Mustos contended the Datchet open with a forecast that barely went above 5 knots, and on arrival even 5 knots was looking optimistic. However after a short delay the breeze came in at 5-8 knots and racing got underway.

Looking around and taking the shifts was key - the wind slowly went right, favouring the right side of the course, but this wasn't a guaranteed gain! George Hand rounded the first mark in the lead of Race 1 followed by Stuart Keegan, Serega Samus and Dave Poston. Dave gybe set on the first downwind to come out in front, but George and Stuart passed him again upwind. Stuart and George fought it out for the lead, place changing several times, with George taking the bullet followed by Stuart and Dave.

Race 2 was a similar tussle with George and Dave getting ahead and duelling it out for most of the race, with Serega never far behind. George led for most of the race but let Dave past as he went round the wrong side of the leeward gate, which sent him up the less favoured left side of the course.

In Race 3 the individual recall flag went up at the start and both George and Dave went back. Mark Cooper called the shifts right to take a commanding lead and a large gap formed as the breeze started to die. Behind him Serega and Stuart were fighting it out, whilst Dave and George tried to make up for their poor starts. Dave managed to come through into 2nd, with Mark taking his first ever Musto event bullet, Dave 2nd and Serega 3rd.

Musto Skiffs at Datchet - photo © Tim Olin

With the wind dying and rain arriving the race officer called the fleet ashore, optimistically planning 5 races for Sunday.

Sunday dawned with even less breeze than Saturday, but enough to get going. As the breeze had swung around the start line was at the opposite side of the lake, and the fleet had to contend with a significant wind shadow from a tower in the middle of the course, nearby which was an 'aeration head' where bubbling air turns the water into a jaccuzi - maybe nice to swim in but very slow to sail through!

The tower/jaccuzi effectively split the course in half, so the choice was left or right. The wind was patchy and swinging significantly - so getting the tactics right was challenging. Keeping the 'dummies in the pram' was important during the game of snakes and ladders!

in Race 4 Serega won the tussle to take a well-deserved win, followed by Stuart and Dave. George won Race 5 ahead of Serega and Dave. In Race 6 David Annan achieved his first ever Musto event race win in front of Stuart and Serega.

In Race 7 with the breeze dying Stuart called the shifts right making big gains on the left upwind, ahead of Neil Farmer, Serega and Ed Wilkinson, whilst George and Dave tangled up with each other whilst failing to get round the windward mark. Stuart took the win, with Neil 2nd and Serega 3rd.

Race 8 was cancelled as the breeze died and the fleet came off the water with no-one knowing what the scores were!

Overall it turned out that Stuart's second day come-back had secured him the win by one point, with Dave and Serega on equal points, and the tie-break being resolved on the last race in Serega's favour.

Thanks to DWSC for a close and enjoyable event, and thanks to our expert race officer Ian Bullock who managed 7 races in tricky conditions.

Overall Results: