Catapult Open at Rutland Sailing Club

Sunshine and the shelter of trees on the windward shore belied the Force 5 gusting 6 that awaited competitors at the Catapult TT at Rutland Water on 23 August.

A confusing course marker led early leader Stuart Ede and half the fleet to follow the wrong course allowing Cliff Antill to claim first and Alastair Forrest second place in Race 1.

Antill showed it was no fluke by forging to the front of Race 2, when early leaders Neal Graneau, Forrest and Gareth Ede struggled with tacking at the windward mark in the strengthening wind. Forrest got away to pursue Antill with Ede Senior steadily closing the gap in third. As Forrest rounded the leeward mark with just yards to the finish, Ede tried to snatch second by throwing in a hurried tack, only to fluff it and be pipped for third place by son Gareth.

Stuart Ede’s port tack flyer gave him the lead off the start in Race 3, but Ede Junior and Graneau overtook him on one of the screaming reaches to finish in this order.

A port tack start paid again for Ede Senior in Race 4, but son Gareth chased him down over the next few laps to take the lead. Antill moved up into second place on the penultimate lap, which would have assured his claim on the event. However, Ede Senior climbed back past him on the last beat and began closing on his son to be on his coat tails at the last mark. At this point Gareth would have won the event on tie break, but his father unfortunately spoilt that by snatching first on the line, as Gareth sailed into wind shadow. This gave Antill the event with Edes Junior and Senior taking second and third respectively.

Overall Results: