2000 National Championship at East Lothian Yacht Club - Day 3

The third day of the Noble Marine and North Berwick Gin sponsored 2000 National Championships served up a 3rd change in the weather patterns - with a light wind day forecasted, and unlike the rest of the UK, bright sunshine all day!

Two hours before the scheduled start, Jim Sinclair the Race Officer from East Lothian Yacht Club said the good news is the wind is doing exactly as forecasted; but the bad news is we will need a 2-hour postponement and won't start until after 2pm.

2000 Nationals at East Lothian day 3 - photo © Eric Robertson

As predicted, we started the sequence at about 14.15, in a steady North Easterly of 6-8 knots. With one minute to go, the wind tracked further right by 40 degrees, leaving the first beat as a boat speed drag race. But a re-positioned windward mark allowed 3 further laps of an accurate course and very close racing. The 8-10 knots allowing everyone to try to show what they could do. Simon Horsfield and Jess Hunter had taken an early lead, but Steve and Sarah Cockerill's speed up wind allowed them to get past and into the lead. Chris and Gill Jordan were trying to catch the two as they covered each other, leaving Kev and Jake O'Brien to fend off Matt and Gwen Sargent who were moving up through the fleet all race.

2000 Nationals at East Lothian day 3 - photo © Eric Robertson

The second race saw the same easterly wind, but it had dropped back to 6-8 knots. Matt and Gwen were the first to tack from the middle of the line at the start, headed off to the right of the course and into the lead. But James MacGregor and Lucy Robson who went left from the pin showed that neither side was particularly favourable. Steve and Sarah repeated their boat speed up wind, although they had some very nervous moments downwind when others had better speed. Simon Horsfield and Jess Hunter moved up to challenge Matt and Gwen for 2nd place, until a small piece of Army rivalry at the final mark allowed the ever present Richard and Ian Hudson through into 3rd place at the finish.

2000 Nationals at East Lothian day 3 - photo © Eric Robertson

The Chairman's Champagne Moment was presented to Helen and Andrew Phillips for their 5th place - despite Helen's worries before the start that they are always slow in light winds. The class then had a very merry Greek Evening at ELYC courtesy of Andreas's Tavern.

Results after Day 3:

More information on the East Lothian Yacht Club website here.