Alton Water 2016 Fox's Marine and Country Frostbite Series - Day 6

How to turn an RS300 into a windsurfer : Alton Water Frostbite Series day 6 © Tim Bees

`I'll just hang about here for a bit` : Alton Water Frostbite Series day 6 © Emer Berry

Races 11 and 12

After an overnight storm and with Imogen on her way we woke to a fine bright East Anglian day – a little gusty perhaps but a great day to get out on the water...

However, you know something is not right when the car park is slow to fill up, the launching area remains uncrowded and there is a dearth of boats rigged before the briefing. Even the inducement of promising to get everyone home in time to watch the rugby was not enough to tempt a large fleet out onto the water. The stalwarts of course were not fazed by the forecast of 20mph and then some more again in the gusts.

With the wind yet again from the S/SW, an errant pin-end buoy and a committee boat anchor that wouldn't stop dragging, racing was finally underway with some starboard bias to the line – not that this was a major consideration... the concern was more about the 30mph gust coming down the track. Two beats and a reach across in front of the club gave the experts on shore a close view of what they were missing and not one of them saw any reason to change their mind, get changed, rigged and come out for the second race.

A fully resourced safety fleet were kept busy re-uniting crews with boats and with a sensibly shortened course of two laps and a minimal stopover, which those who had survived the first race spent in the lee of the trees along with the not-so-hardy fisherman, the second race was underway. A very diminished fleet made it to the finish line of that race – well done to all those who even started.

As promised, all were home in time to watch the rugby. As a picture is supposedly worth a thousand words, we have more snaps of the action this week and less of a write-up.

See www.flickr.com/photos/129954669@N05/sets/72157662146449803 for the complete set of action shots from Tim Bees, the Alton Water Sailing Facebook page for other photos and www.altonwater.co.uk/index.php?pid=167&series=420 for the full results to date. With three more weekends left to sail, only David Conlon and Sarah Bines in their RS200 (having yet another good week) look to have their fleet sewn up.

Homework – the answers to last week's questions

1. Would you expect to see a crested grebe, red necked grebe, red-eyed grebe at Alton? Red necked grebe (if you are lucky)

2. Where can you have a consultation with a doctor or a vet just as you are about to launch? Yes at Alton Water, as we had a broken toe consultancy and the cat's paw has been treated – all part of the service.

3. Who has exchanged Centre Management for nappy changing and paternity leave? Congratulations to Andy who has become a first-time father.

4. As heard from one of the competitors – what do they do on the committee boat other than drink coffee? Not much but you are welcome to give it a try.

Provisional top placings in races 11 and 12: