Firefly Thames weekend at Tamesis Club & Thames Sailing Club
by Barney Smith 16 Apr 2007 22:24 BST
14-15 April 2007
Towing the boats to Thames SC during the Thames Firefly weekend © Barney Smith
Eighteen Fireflies competed in a challenging series of races around Kingston on the River Thames over the weekend of 14/15 April.
The format of this rather quirky event involves a tow from Tamesis club to Thames SC on the Saturday morning, three races at Thames SC, a race back (under two low bridges) to Tamesis on Sat afternoon, a party at Thames on Sat night and three more races at Tamesis on Sunday. Results are done for the overall event, part of the M25 traveller's series and also split into two day events, the Challenge Cup at Thames and the Elizabeth cup at Tamesis. If you managed to understand all that you've done better than several of the competitors!
The clear overall winners, taking first in five of the seven races were Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield from Wessex SC in their recently restored 59 year old boat, Dido, first sailed at the 1948 Olympics. Behind Mark and Sally competition was tight with up to half a dozen boats overlapped at race finishes. Surprisingly, in contrast to the rest of the country, the wind held up on the Thames for almost the entire weekend, providing beautiful sailing conditions in the unseasonable 25 degree C temperatures.
The Firefly class would like to thank to all at Thames and Tamesis for organising a superb weekend of sailing.
Overall Results:
M25 Thames Weekend
1st Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield F498 Wessex Exiles
2nd Alex Davey and Georgie Sutcliffe, F3690, Royal Harwich
3rd Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, F3919, Frampton
4th Steve Greaves and Amy Morris, F1867, Rickmansworth
5th Barney Smith and Alannah Witherby, F3023, Hamble River
6th Simon Spolton and Verity Birch, F3924, Wessex
Thames Challenge Cup (Saturday)
1st Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield, F498
2nd Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, F3919
3nd Alex Davey and Georgie Sutcliffe, F3690
Elizabeth Cup, Tamesis (Sunday)
1st Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield, F498
2nd Alex Davey and Georgie Sutcliffe, F3690
3rd Peter Cook and Janet Exelby, F3919