Wayfarer Open at Upper Thames Sailing Club

The sun shines but the wind takes the weekend off for the Upper Thames Wayfarer open © Roy Burnham

The sun shone, but the wind decided that it was going to take the weekend off for the Wayfarer National Circuit Series at Upper Thames Sailing Club on the 27th-28th September. The fleet of 15 boats included entries from Minima YC, Norfolk Broads YC, Lock SC, Parkstone YC and Datchet Water SC. Ian Richards and Adam Light from Great Moor SC turned up in their brand new Hartley Mark 4 number 10570 and finished a creditible 7th overall in their first ever Wayfarer Open Meeting.

The local sailors coped with the conditions better than the visitors and took the first three places overall. Martin and Becky Collen in W88 were first and won the Splashaway Trophy, followed by W6778 sailed by Phil and Sam Preston in second place, and 2216 sailed by Jim Grant and James Hoburn in third. Even Ray and Jill Scraggs in W7698 from Parkstone who finished in fourth place are former Upper Thames members.

Saturday was very light and the race team gave the fleet one drifter with the promise of breeze on Sunday. Saturday night did not disappoint, the Caribbean evening with 80 people & steel band went down a treat (along with the UTSC Painkiller cocktail!).

Sunday morning dawned with fog in the valley (and in plenty of peoples heads) which burned off while the competitors all had a late breakfast. Racing started at 13:00 and the light breeze decided to turn up, and the race officer was able to hold three races up the river.

Overall Results: