Wayfarer National Circuit Finale at Bough Beech Sailing Club

Wayfarers at Bough Beech © T. Howard

Wayfarers at Bough Beech © T. Howard

24 Wayfarers arrived at Bough Beech Sailing Club, on 7th November for the finale to the National Circuit Series 2009 and what would prove to be a weekend of fine sailing and some friendly banter in the heart of the beautifully autumnal Kent Weald.

Things got underway on day one in a light south westerly breeze, the race officer having set a fairly tight triangle - sausage course, that would test the fitness of the crews in hoisting and droping the kites.

Brian Mckenzie and Mark Penny (MYC) were first to the windward mark from John Goudie and Suzanne Hall (Wilsonian SC), but after mark two, Brian Lamb and Tony Hunt (Wilsonian SC) were chasing hard along the run. On the second beat Mike Macnamara and Simon Towsend (NBYC) went right, with local sailors Dave Roberts and Mike Bryant (BBSC) sailing up the middle of the lake, having moved up the fleet. The Macnamara/Towsend and Lamb/Hunt boats opened up a lead over the rest to take first and second respectively with a tightly fought battle for third place in which Roberts and Bryant prevailed.

After lunch and suitably refuelled, race two, saw a freshening southerly breeze and a virtuoso performance from Martin Collen and Donna Rouse (UTSC), who opened up a lead early on and went on to win by a whole leg.

Day two saw overcast skies and a northerly wind and following the customary two minutes silence on the water as an act of remembrance, racing got underway. Simon and Rachel Clayton were first to the windward mark but were soon under pressure from Eric & Janet Wilson (BBSC) and Peter Kay and Chris Fuller (Warsash SC), each taking advantage of puffs of wind to sail up through the fleet. The boats were more bunched with the lead changing hands several times, but Collen and Rouse managed to take first, holding off strong challenges from Graham Robin Barker (NBYC) and the Macnamara Towsend boat.

With everything still to play for, and with a change of course to a figure of eight, in race four the Claytons took a brief lead but looking over their stern they would have seen Bill and Lisa Whitney, (SSC) close behind, leading the chasing fleet which remained bunched. As the wind freshened, the Whitneys went left up the second beat with Collen and Rouse going right, to prevail at the windward mark, only to then loose the lead to Macnamara and Towsend. With fifteen minutes to go Collen and Rouse took the lead again, but shortly afterwards did turns. Macnamara and Towsend did not need a second chance and took the race.

To the credit of the sailors, there was close racing right the way through the fleet with tussles at the final leeward mark rounding resulting in turns at the back of the fleet. At the front it was close on ponts but Collen & Rouse had done just enough to take the event.

Overall Results: (top 5)

1. M. Collen/D. Rouse (UTSC) 4pts
2. M. Mcnamara/S. Townsend (NBYC) 5pts
3. Q. Strauss/W. Hewland (UTSC) 10pts
4. B. Lamb/T. Hunt (Wisonian SC) 12pts
5. G. Barker/R. Barker (NBYC) 12pts