Flying Fifteen Open at Bewl Valley Sailing Club
by Keith Bromhead 22 Mar 2011 19:54 GMT
19-20 March 2011
The weather forecasts for Bewl, near Lamberhurst in Kent, issued during the week leading up to the event on the 19-20 March had been for very light winds over the whole weekend which probably accounted for only three visitors joining the nine club boats taking part.
Saturday would have been a great day if you wanted to play golf or do some gardening, but if you wanted to go sailing, it didn’t look at all promising.
Two races were scheduled for each day and the first race on the Saturday was due to start at 1.00pm. The fleet struggled to get to the proposed start line but the Race Officer, Richard Kingsnorth, because of very light winds (only 2-3 knots) and wind directions shifting through 180 degrees, found that he was unable to lay the windward/leeward course that he had planned.
After about half an hour there was neither improvement in the conditions nor any indication from the forecasts that the situation would improve so the decision was taken to delay ashore. Conditions didn’t change and the day’s racing was abandoned.
Several competitors were delighted with this turn of events, which meant that they could adjourn to the clubhouse and watch back to back rugby on TV. The two Welshmen amongst them were ecstatic when England were trounced by the Irish, but fortunately for them the similar fate suffered by their team at the hands of the French was played out later in the evening in the comfort of their own homes.
Initially it looked as though a similar fate would befall the Sunday races, but just before the scheduled start the wind filled in and the Race Officer was able to run three races in fairly steady winds from a southwesterly direction, which increased over the period to a force 3-4.
Local knowledge of the reservoir and its natural wind shifts was insufficient for the home boats to gain an advantage with Bewl’s own Robert Hogben and Glyn Morgan taking the trophy for the best Bewl boat (No 3953) in fourth overall position. Representing Castle Cove, and helming Ian Cadwallader’s Fifteen (No 3942) for the first time, his usual boat being a Scorpion, John Mursell with Ian at the front won all three races thus taking away the silverware for all the races and the Rondal Shield as overall winner of the event. Second were Pip and Alice Hudson from Broxbourne (No 3681) and third, Mike Kilbee and Tony Cox from Parkstone (No 3901).