Streaker Open at Girton Sailing Club

The 2010 Streaker Open at Girton © Peter Tyerman

Saturday 3 October saw 15 boats, including 10 visitors turn out. The amazingly good weather, with glorious sunshine and force 2 to 3 southerly winds, helped to make this a very enjoyable day.

In the first race Ian Bradley had the lead at the first mark followed by Dave Smith, Veronica Falat and Paul Jago. Bradley kept the lead throughout followed by Smith almost till the end. The wrong decision on the final mark let Veronica Falat into second place with Dave in third place. Paul Jago held 4th place for much of the race, despite sailing a 15 year old heavy boat and running aground twice. But local sailor, Adrian Cripps, managed to push him into 5th place in the end. There was probably most place changing going on in the middle and back of the fleet with plenty of competition for all.

Race 2 began after local efforts to increase the weight of the visitors with a good lunch. Veronica Falat took the lead from the start, followed by Dave Smith. Ian Bradley and Pete Tyerman were scrapping for 3rd place behind them until a broken horse dropped Tyerman a few places. At the finish Falat was followed by Smith, then Bradley and Paul Jago in 4th place.

Three potential overall winners took the field for race 3. Smith got clear at the start and led for the first two laps. If he had kept this position he would have won the event, but in fickle wind at the windward mark his boat kissed the buoy. During the resulting turn he took Falat off to the wrong side, out of the wind, with him. This let Bradley through and as the wind shifted to the East he increased his lead to take the meeting to the dismay of Smith and Falat who came in 2nd and 3rd respectively.

The overall result for at the end of a very enjoyable day was Ian Bradley in 1st place with Veronica Falat 2nd, Dave Smith in 3rd place and Paul Jago 4th place