Icicle Race at Harlow (Blackwater) Sailing Club
by Mark Batt, PRO 30 Dec 2012 19:53 GMT
30 December 2012
Harlow Blackwater Icicle © C Roberts
I awoke on the 30th of December knowing i had to make a very difficult decision. Do I send them or not, as being Race Officer is always a hard do you upset the harden sailors or force the not so good sailors to go sailing.
After hearing about the races that had been cancelled on Saturday, also that other clubs had already cancelled sailing today I was going to try my best to get a race in.
24 starters turned up on the line the wind was a good force 4/5, with the odd gust going over 30 knots. After the first general recall they all behaved for the next start with a short upwind leg to a dropped mark, then a gybe sorted out the wheat from the chaff. The Fireballs seemed to get clear - with nine boats it was like an East Coast winter open meeting. Phil was the only brave Phantom sailor in Essex, Andy the (bandit) in his Blaze seemed to enjoy the day. A few Lasers started with only one boat making the finish it was local hero Richard Sharman showing the skills we know he has had for years in a Laser.
With reports of huge waves out in the river, enough to make the Fireballs nose-dive downwind, I knew it would be a wild ride from Southey Bouy to Mundon Nav. I knew I had guessed right with big grins when they all came back ashore - well worth it they all said! With two rigs broken and the odd sail batten going astray, it was not a bad day really.
Quote of the day went to Gareth Davies. In his foiling Moth he was leading the race and then turned at Mundon Nav to come straight home. He just said "I'm not going up there!"
Overall Results:
1st M Scarth / T Riley (BSC)
2nd S Jarred / M Jarred (BSC)
3rd M Richards / G Hoy (BSC)
6th R Sharman (HBSC)
Josie Gummer and Harriet Ayre got a special prize for sailing their 420 really well.