Challenger Regatta at Oxford Sailing Club

It's Friday 29th May. Half the 13-boat fleet are downwind of the first start, struggling to reach the line in a brisk Westerly. Val Millward and Graham Hall had their usual battle for the lead and superior boatspeed put Val in front. Christine Spray started well, finishing third and beating Alex Hovden.

Seconds before the start of race two the Westerly wind veered right, then further right, postponing the start with seconds to go. As the shift was nearly 90 degrees the whole course had to be re-laid. Then the postponement flag dropped, the 5,4,1,Go sequence commenced and – bang on the gun - Graham made a perfect start.

Concentrating intently on sail trim and speed, tactical brain-fade did not become apparent until he tacked one minute into his race to witness the official start for everyone else. When a postponement flag (AP) is flown, there is an extra minute in the sequence between AP dropping and the 5 minute warning flag being displayed!

Graham decided to retire, making a mental note that it's the flags – not the sounds – that are the signals. An easy win for Val, a second for Alex Hovden and a third for Diana Faulks, who missed the first race. Christine faded to sixth but was still third overall. Was the established order about to suffer an upset?

Graham redeemed himself in race 3 by leading from the start. The wind was still shifting right but it looked like an easy win until they rounded the last mark, Graham sailed on but Val tacked and sailed the short route to the finish, beating Graham by a boat's length. Graham made another mental note; avoid snatching defeat from the jaws of victory by staying between the opposition and the finish line!

Race 3 was another one-two for Val and Graham. A third for Alex meant the overnight score was in that order, with Christine fourth and several others close behind.

On Saturday the wind was lighter but back in the West. The Race Officer anxiously wondered whether there would be another big shift but racing started on time. Rutland's Mark Fletcher made a great start but went too far left on the beat, reaching the mark at the back of the fleet. In the patchy conditions, he worked his way back up the fleet to finish third behind the Val-Gra combo, with Diana a distant but secure fourth and Christine, not liking the lighter conditions, finishing eighth.

Mark enjoyed the light conditions, scoring another third then a second for third overall. Val won race 5 and, having an unbeatable lead, went ashore to prepare for the journey home. This gave Graham a win in the last race for second overall. Judi Figgures came third, leapfrogging Diana into fourth overall, with Alex, unable to sail, coming fifth. Christine Spray won Silver with 7th overall. Neil Bartlett and Emma Crees sailed their own race in Bronze to finish in that order.

Overall Results: