D-One Open at Weir Wood Sailing Club

Weir Wood Sailing Club situated on the edge of Ashdown forest extended a fine welcome to the D-One fleet over the weekend of 16th and 17th April.

The Saturday consisted of a training day run by Charlie Cumbley of North Sails, which had us all on our toes. Multiple starts, some interesting manoeuvres to stop your opposition where employed, including putting Tim into irons by connecting with the end of his boom with your shoulder, sorry. Getting tiller extensions stuck up you sleeve and careering down the line, no names, you know who you are, tacking, gybing, kite up, kite down. It was a relief when we were sent ashore for the video debrief, it's amazing what the camera picks up. Thank you to Charlie and Ben Falat for arranging it and Martin Pascoe for being on site and seeing that we had everything we needed.

Sunday arrived with frost on the covers, bright sunshine but a distinct lack of wind. Martin Pascoe was back for more punishment as race officer for the day. By the 10:30 start time a light breeze had filled in from the North which, as any local will tell you, is the worst direction for Weir Wood (isn't it always the way). Marks were set and the sequence started, at 2 minutes to go the wind swung to the South West, postponement up, marks reset, sequence restarted, wind goes back to the North... Who'd be a race officer!

Martin persevered and got us away on what was to be an interesting race, well I say race, even the old overused snakes and ladders phrase was kind. Tim 'I love shifty lakes, me' Garvin lived up to this by eking a sizeable lead, even with the wind swinging around in circles, until the penultimate lap when, while following the breeze down the 'run' ended up having to drop his kite and beat back to the mark, while Tyler Harmsworth picked up his own breeze and planned into the lead, which he held over the final lap.

With the wind still not playing ball the fleet made a collective decision and headed to the shore and an early end to the day. With only one race completed it hardly qualified as an event but a good time was had by all. Harmsworth won, Garvin was second and Gordon (pink numbers) Davies persevered and came in a well-deserved third.

Thank you to all at Weir Wood for making us so welcome, especially Mr Pascoe.