Peter Keeling Shrimper Week at Rock Sailing and Waterski Club
by George Dale 11 Jul 2010 23:31 BST
Shrimper Week at Rock © Brian Woolcott
Thirty-six Shrimpers entered this year for the annual Peter Keeling Shrimper Week at Rock Sailing & Water Ski Club. Race Officer for the week was Simon Pain and for the first race he set a course off Daymer Bay. The weather was fine and sunny with a wind Force 3 to 4 – perfect conditions to open the series.
This first race set the scene for the remainder of the week with Chris and Annie Creak in Bonney coming in first after dicing with Mark and Zedda Peek in Haggis who were second, followed by Chris and Jenni Dullage in Primrose.
The course for Race 2 was also off Daymer but with a strong wind, a good Force 5, conditions were more testing. Once again Chris Creak led the fleet home, followed this time by Rod Offer in Aurora with Mark Peek this time in third place.
Races 3 and 4, sailed back-to-back, took place within the estuary and the conditions returned once more to sunny with a Force 3 to 4 providing perfect sailing weather. First home in Race 3 were Hunphrey Carmichael with Jane Cullinan in Mairi Bhan, followed by Bonney and Haggis. Race 4 was won once more by Bonney with Ivan Mortimer and Sue Morris in Chameleon second and Peter Skinner with Graham Renwick in Black Dog taking third place.
The race on the fourth day was the traditional Quayside Trophy event. This is a race that does not count towards the series and ends with a shore-based lunch, this year in Padstow, where the fleet was welcomed at the Pescadou restaurant. Weather conditions were once more perfect for this fun event.
Serious racing resumed once more the following day when the Race Officer set a course right out in the bay. A good Force 4 with a lumpy sea greeted the fleet, providing testing conditions for the sailors. Bonney was once more the winner with Haggis second and Martin and Sarah Pumphrey in Salt Horse II in third place.
The final race of the series took place once more within the estuary in fine weather. The winners were Chris and Jenni Dullage in Primrose followed by Haggis and Bonney.
Overall winners for the week were Chris and Annie Creak in Bonney with Mark and Zedda Peek in Haggis second and Martin and Sarah Pumphrey in Salt Horse II taking third place honours.
As always, this was a very sociable event, including barbecues, a golf competition and ending with the annual dinner at which prizegiving took place and Simon Pain and his team with the Clubhouse staff were congratulated on providing superb support for the occasion.