Hornet racing during the 2015 River Exe Regatta

Hornet racing during the 2015 River Exe Regatta © Nigel Hicks Photography / www.nigelhicks.com

Hornet racing during the 2015 River Exe Regatta © Nigel Hicks Photography / www.nigelhicks.com

Hornet racing during the Saturday of the River Exe Regatta © Nigel Hicks Photography / www.nigelhicks.com

Ten Hornets competed at the Exe Regatta, sponsored by Exe Sails and the gro company and hosted by Starcross Yacht Club on the weekend of 11-12 July. With the wind blowing across the estuary all weekend it was a little shifty to say the least. Saturday was marginal trapezing weather and slick teamwork was needed upwind and down.

With a lack of crews Mike Owen moved to the front end of his boat and threw the Queens Sovereign into Dick Garry's ale for the helms seat. Dave Edge and Martin Arnison were trialling a larger spinnaker for the class and so keeping out of the way of other boats.

Strangler and Pippa Rogers continued their winning ways from the previous open taking bullets in the first two races.

Toby Barsley-Dale and Andy Hay also pulled out from the fleet in the first race to take second but could not continue the form for the rest of the regatta. The third and last race on Saturday had more wind. Will McGrath and Sam Woolner showed their championship winning form to take the win from Nigel Skudder and Keith Hills.

Overnight Tim Coombe and James Beer were lying second to Strangler and Pippa but it was all to play for on Sunday and a forecast of stronger winds. The ladies of the galley did a great job of feeding us on Sat evening and with happy hour beer at 1970's prices some very dubious dancing was witnessed.

The sailors set out for two races on Sunday morning in very light winds but it soon built to fully trapezing. Strangler managed to force a couple of rivals out at the committee boat in the first race to take the win and overall first.

Nigel Skudder, former Laser 2 world champion, was now more consistent taking second place. The last race saw the whole fleet close together throughout and video was needed to separate the first three on the finish line, Will and Sam taking it from Nigel and Keith and then Dave Edge and Martin Arnison.

The next events for the Hornets is the Nationals at Brixham next month, details under 'more news' on the Hornet website: www.hornet.org.uk

Overall Results:

Hornet racing during the Sunday of the 2015 River Exe Regatta - photo © Nigel Hicks Photography / www.nigelhicks.com