Wineglass Nationals at Fishers Green Sailing Club

Home win for 2002

A fine midsummer day presented itself for a modest fleet of Wineglass dinghies that tussled with shifty but fair breeze on Sunday 23rd June. Three races were planned and held, the result was to be calculated using the best two results.

The first race got under way from a short, strongly starboard biased line and tackled what was to be a troublesome windward leg. The course set for the south westerly breeze, had it's windward mark just into the lee of trees that lined the bank and provided some great shifts that tested the helms. Indeed an early casualty, Moonlight (473) sailed by John Donoghue and Mike Suffield, was knocked down halfway up the beat. This proved to be the only casualty all day, perhaps the change of course for the second and third races, taking away the sheltered mark, eased the situation.

Race one provided a dramatic finish, first place was being hotly contested by Chablis (412), Roger Castle and Dick Reynolds, and Moon Indigo (508), Brian Conroy and Ron Elston, with Vino (507), Dave and Laura Carter. Conroy had edged ahead of Castle on the final beat but needed to tack to make the line. Castle, also needed to tack to make the line, but made the move too early, allowing Conroy to tack for the line. Sadly however, Conroy crossed the line between the Committee boat and the inner distance mark and was disqualified, giving the race to Castle.

Having won the first race Castle, with a good, confident start, led the second race throughout to capture the title. Conroy meanwhile, after a poor start and some weed trouble, had worked back up to second, with Carter third and Donoghue, now dried out, fourth.

All boats started for the final race and there were no mistakes from Conroy this time, leading the race all the way, but chased by the improving Sippers (415), Harry Chilcott and Dave Preou and Dernier Cru (504), Dave Gasgoyne and Joyce Fontana from Derwent S.C.

It had been an eventful championship and closed with a pleasant high tea and the prize giving led by the Commodore of Fishers Green Sailing Club, Roger Springett.

Overall Results: