Hornet 60th Anniversary Europeans at Brixham Yacht Club - Day 2

Old boats rule!

Fog. When the fleet arrived for start time at the club it was definitely foggy. To the point that you couldn't see the breakwater, and then there was the drizzle as well...

So, not a promising start but our RO was resolutely optimistic and refused to be beaten so, while we were reading the Sunday papers, the race team was poised for action. At just gone midday the fog cleared to reveal a bay with no wind but, after 4 hours we were called afloat and the fleet scrambled to action (a bit like Thunderbirds but without the swimming pool and the Caribbean island).

Old boats were well in evidence with 2 sliding seat hornets out to play and the almost all original 'Shoestring' (191) coming to play with a fully battened 1956/57 terylene main, matching jib and cotton spinnaker.

Light and shifty breezes caused the first start of the day to be recalled but the second went off without incident. A good day was had by the Gibbons family with Chris Bines and Dave Gibbons winning the first race and David Conlon and Ed Gibbons coming 3rd. Ed and David picked up a cheap boat for the event and proceeded to better this great result with a win in race 2... proof that new boats and equipment aren't everything.

Consistency was seen in very testing conditions as Rob Larke and Nic Barnes put in 2 seconds and the leaders after day 1, Dick Garry and Matt McGrath, put in a 3rd and 4th to continue their winning ways.

However, we have come down today to clear weather and forecasts varying wildly in strength and direction so anything is possible...