Woo Led Hat Races 3 & 4 at Harlow (Blackwater) Sailing Club

A nippy little breeze drifted across the jetty but it had lost none of its bitter bite on its way from Moscow far to the N.E. The frost coated boat covers being lifted like shed roof tops from the boats landed with hard crunching sounds and got the proceedings under way. The sun now rising over Canvey Island (setting over Thurrock) spread a warming feeling of life and joy in the gathering rubber clad boys and girls. The Race Box set the course and fired the gun and it was race on, by the time the fleet reached the first mark the wind had built to a brisk 18 knots on a sparkling 5.6 metre tide.

Keith sailing a Finn having won the start and rounded Lawling in the lead went on to have a “cruising day” as he mentioned in the bar and it must be said he made it look easy and chatted to Jacko most of the way around the mark asking whether he would like the lift or the right side and wining the first race convincingly and a worthy 2nd in the second race to take overall lead of the series.

Chris sailing a Phantom making a good start in the first race, didn’t fare so well and looked a little hassled at times, dropping back and eventually spending time with the fishes.

Martin Tarlin sailing a laser having been blessed via the handicapping subcommittee on a mysterious appeal for a “fair go” from persons unknown, sailed a blinder and flourished in what was now quite a deeply hardy wind, finishing 2nd and 3rd to be 3rd overall.

Notables of the day: Malcolm and Tony sailing a Fireball having sailed the first three races in a most ordinary fashion decided to get sorted and kick butt to win the forth race in good stile.

Jacko and Lorna sailing a Merlin are looking a bit shifty, but as luck would have it finished 4th in the 4th race and gained the reward of the bonus prize, a bottle of plonk (the word on the block is that the race box have been trying to off load the bottle age for some time) and Lorna should be so lucky, lucky, lucky! To clubhouse cries of “it’s a fix” a one off, one minute off the following race elapsed time was awarded. It must be said that there is no way that Jacko could have fixed this at all in any way possible (so he tells us). And what of The Ronnet’s, well a course on boat maintenance has been but off for a special birthday in which discards or years will not be counted.

Results after Race 4:

Keith Fedi, Finn 11pts
Chris Roberts, Phantom 12pts
Martin Tarlin, Laser 12pts

This small but beautifully formed fleet would like to invite any ‘lost for something’ to do sailors to come and join us on the next sail, 12 Feb starting at 10.15.