Sizewell Race at Southwold Sailing Club

A Laser 5000 during the Sizewell Race at Southwold SC © Jeremy Taylor

It was another busy weekend at Southwold Sailing Club, with the Summer Party on Saturday and Sizewell race on Sunday. Over 50 people attended Saturdays Summer party and enjoyed an excellent meal and the superb summer cocktails that resulted in a few sore heads in the dinghy park on Sunday morning. The team of Cath Fox, Emma Tarbun and Jeremy Taylor won the Harbour Treasure Hunt while Freddy Fielden won the prize for 1st Junior. Another superb evening helped by the efforts of a number of club members, particularly Geoff Brown who has made the Summer Party one of the highlights of the social calendar.

Sunday dawned hot and sunny with a light southeasterly breeze for the race to Sizewell. First away were the cruisers, with Malcolm Taylor in Antares leading Andrew Rowley’s Roanmar across the line. These two enjoyed an excellent race, never more than 2 boat lengths apart for the whole race, Antares led as they rounded the outfall at Sizewell and finally crossed the finish line 10 seconds ahead of Roanmar. However on handicap it was Peter Hancock’s Drascombe Lugger, Pippin, that took the victory. Antares was 2nd and Roanmar 3rd.

Ten minutes later it was the turn of the dinghies, the start was hectic as the boats jostled for position at the committee boat end. This was made more difficult by the fact the start was downwind and down tide. Cath Fox and Charlie Brown were forced to take a penalty turn following an infringement on the line. The fleet quickly spread out and the early leaders were Dirk Bougard and Jeremy Taylor in their Laser 4000. The laser 4000’s just managed to hold their spinnakers while the rest were forced to 2 sail reach. Bougard /Taylor were chased by Fox /Brown and Mark Nowell and Rupert Taylor in their Laser 5000. Nowell/Taylor took the lead halfway to Sizewell and were the 1st dinghy around the outfall. They were followed by Bougard/Taylor and Fox/Brown who had recovered well from their penalty turn.

On the return leg Fox/Brown and Bougard/Taylor held their spinnakers and headed inshore before being forced to drop them as the wind swung around to the North East. Nowell/Taylor headed straight offshore looking for the stronger tide and the start of the sea breeze. This tactic paid off and they built a large lead by the finish. Behind them Bougard/Taylor managed to pull away from Fox/Brown, while Greg & Mary Brown charged through the fleet in their 505 to finish 3rd on the water only 10 seconds behind Bougard/Taylor.

The question remained whether Nowell/Taylor had established a large enough lead to take the victory on corrected time. This proved not to be the case and Bougard/Taylor won the Sizewell Trophy by 10 seconds from the Browns with Nowell /Taylor 3rd.

Overall Results:

The Wednesday evening Series starts on 16th July at 6:30 pm. Next weekend the club is holding an asymmetric open meeting. Racing starts on Saturday with a 12pm start for the first of three races, this is followed by a barbeque on Saturday night and three further races on Sunday, first start 10:30am. Contact Mark Nowell mark@southwoldsailing.co.uk for more details or to enter.

The weekend of 26th/27th July there is social sailing on Saturday, the 5o5 fleet have a training weekend and the Pursuit Race and Suffolk Americas Cup will be held on the Sunday.

More Information:

• Southwold Sailing Club website