Snipe Open at Bough Beech Sailing Club

There is nothing like a little bit of everything to re-awaken the keen sailor inside. A little bit of everything is exactly what we were treated to at the 2017 Bough Beech Open last weekend.

A little bit of sun, a lot of sun, a little bit of wind and a lot of wind, some little shifts and some big shifts, some tight racing and some great camaraderie, a little fatigue and a lot of fun. All in all only one word will suffice. Awesome!

So it is with great pleasure that I write about my experience from third place. We were beaten by two stand out crews that revelled in the breeze and eked out what was to be had when there was no breeze.

Racing on Saturday started with moderate breeze so we opted for light wind settings but the breeze built quickly to around 20 knots and we were quickly over-powered. A wakeup call. There were three more races planned. So rigs back, sails stretched, vangs on, masts bent, travellers dumped, ears pinned back and off we went for the next three races. There were a couple of spills and many close calls, sadly a few breakages, but at least our rescue crews were kept entertained.

Sunday was altogether much more sedate. Which was fortunate, because if I was anything to go by, everyone was stiff from Saturday's racing and a little groggy from a few too many lemonades. We had three races amongst the club fleets. The wind was challenging light and shifty. Huge bends around the edges of the lake with holes dotted around the middle - lovely! One of those days where you follow your nose and hope it pays off. Temperament testing stuff, one minute you look like you are going to get to the windward mark first, the next the entire fleet crosses you, and it starts to look like it might be a looong day.

We had seven great races, with three separate race winners, in a fleet of 15 competitors, and a few local bandits hiding amongst us, and an age range of some 58 years. Our race officers and safety crews did a great job setting P courses to make the most of the lake a wind direction. Even with the relatively long laps there was rarely a significant spread in field, marks roundings could be a crowded affair and places fought for right up to the finish line. A fact that highlights the competitive pedigree of the Snipe. Its nip and tuck racing and we love it.

From a purely selfish viewpoint the standout memory of the weekend was a perfect jibe. From plane to plane without dropping any (?much) speed. For sure we were probably moments from disaster, but this time everything worked. Helm and crew moved in unison, the main floated over and no one over-thought anything. If you would pardon the expression, it was a sexy gybe.

See you all at Stone Sailing Club in June.

Overall Results: