Shearwater TT at Datchet Water Sailing Club

We didn’t want to go! The weather looked good but the reports we’d heard on the launching / receiving processes seemed hazardous. On arriving it quickly became apparent that we should not listen to club house gossip. The club was friendly and inviting, the launching and retrieving couldn’t have been easier and the organization first class.

All the usual boats turned up but not with their usual crews. Jenny, at long last has been reunited with Alan and sailed as well as usual on Alley Cat.

Due to Anna’s unfavorable weight gain! Roger has opted for a new slimmer crew who experienced his first Shearwater race in a force 7 and still managed to come out smiling. The Tindales are trying a new combination this year, with Dan crewing Jack on Think Pink and Amy crewing Geoff on Dilligaf. Due to the sailing area being directly beneath the main Heathrow flight path, we were unable to determine if this new combination was a happy one, mind you if Amy was sailing with Jack it wouldn’t matter how low the Jumbos were, we would have still heard them!

Frantic and UFO also had a new crew combination due to Emma studying hard at Uni. Grace sailing with Claire and George making his debut helping his dad out on UFO.

On Saturday the wind was a strong force 5 and gusting to 7 which made being hove too exciting let alone the racing. The 2 fleets, Hurricanes and Shearwaters were set different courses. The Hurricanes a windward leeward, and the Shearwaters a traditional sausage triangle. This was set so well that the 2 classes rarely gave each other trouble. The race officer managed to get 4 races in for both fleets which in the prevailing conditions was a job well done.

However, the strong gusts caught many people out with nearly half the fleet suffering a capsize at some stage during the day, leaving a few with no alternative but to retire to repair and replace ready for Sundays racing.

The evening’s entertainment went well after the delicious BBQ was cleared away with FLICK keeping us entertained into the small hours.

Sunday dawned bright and clear but absolutely no wind what so ever! The race officer made another very good decision letting us all go home at 12.00. This meant that the 4 races on Saturday were the only ones to count. This put Shaun & Dion 1st on Take Five, Alan & Jenny 2nd on Ally Cat with Jack and Dan 3rd on Think Pink.

As I said at the beginning, “I didn’t want to go,” but now I can’t wait to return!

Overall Results: