Comet open meeting at Cransley Sailing Club

Comet open meeting at Cransley © Helen Britton

With seven visitors (including a few ex National Champions) and eight home sailors (four of them teenagers, one fresh out of Level 2 just a few weeks earlier), the Comet Open at Cransley was poised to be an interesting event.

The wind was a northerly but was prone to swinging wildly through the woods to the east, creating an infamous "Bermuda Triangle", which caught a few visitors out on many of the beats. The course was primarily a figure-of-eight, and suitably briefed and fed, Race 1 got underway. Eddie Pope (Ogston) immediately set out his stall and despite being chased by myself, was far too nimble in the ever-changing shifts. Charlie Guyett from Cransley showed early promise but a dodgy mainsheet knot saw his chances fade. With Bob Dobbs chasing hard for 3rd and most of the visitors starting to adapt to the Force 1-2 with freakish gusts of up to 3-4, the second race after a sumptuous lunch promised to be increasingly tactical.

Race 2 saw myself edge away from Eddie who caught a lump of weed on the first beat and never recovered. Like a limpet, Bob Dobbs pursued but no cigar, whilst Henry Jaggers (who does have a cigar, well cigarette whilst sailing!) carved his way into fourth. At this point I have to point out that the Cransley boats were having their own battle royals and from the amount of laughter and screaming from the youngsters enjoying it immensely – just how it should be!

Comet open meeting at Cransley - photo © Helen Britton

Race 3 started with a different start line as the wind had decided that a shift to an easterly would make it more interesting, and young Charlie led the field for a couple of legs before the tussle between Eddie and myself recommenced, although the 13yr old held on to fourth place behind Michael Ettershank. The remainder of the fleet appeared to contemplate going for a swim to cool down from the frustrations around the central mark of E which was either approached at speed or drifted up to! In the end Eddie broke free and took the trophy.

We had visitors from Cornwall, Devon, home counties (including Crawley) and Hunts, and Up River, and I think they enjoyed the challenge of Cransley – if not the Afternoon Tiffin tea made up for it at the end.

Well done to all who took part (Eddie, Bob, Chris, Michael, John, Brian, Henry, Charlie, Sarah, Julie, Rhiain, Emily, Tom and Niamh + me) and to the race, safety and shore crews – a cracking days sailing!!

Comet open meeting at Cransley - photo © Helen Britton

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