Hartley Boats Contender National Championship at Broadstairs SC - Day 1
by Ed Presley 7 Sep 2019 09:03 BST
6-9 September 2019
The Hartley boats Contender nationals has begun. 43 weapons of sailing perfection are lined up and ready, the boats have also been prepped. Broadstairs Sailing Club has also combed it hair and put on a clean shirt, made evident by the huge efforts of the local team of volunteers.
Most Athletes arrived the night before Day 1 and assisted the club in removing all doubt of the local beer quality. This activity made the later day 1 start time appreciated. The sailors didn't notice the sea state and breeze poking up so when start time cam around the RO gave us the bad news that it was gust 30knts with big sea, but good news! It was dropping.
Around tea time the conditions were perfect and off we went. Planning out to the start line things looked a bit spicy. The sequence started, catching out a number of people not paying attention, and we were off in a decent breeze that shut down as soon as all settings were locked in. Those at the pin made gains in the last of the dying breeze, those heading right gained due to a mixture of tide and wind shifts... don't go up the middle.
One of the right wingers James Spikesley made it around the windward mark first followed by Adrian Smith. Excellent work chaps but Gary punched the tide to go from 5th to 1st and was was never bothered in conditions we describe as 'Gary's'.
Gaz commanded the day from there on in with James letting no one else past for 2nd. Dave Davies started in 3rd went backwards and forward and ended in 3rd rendering his efforts ultimately pointless.
The amount of time it had taken us to slop around the course meant a second race was impossible. "In" was the call but described in flags.
On returning to the boat park the promise of free beer was calling. And here we are in the bar, hurrah.
Results can be found here.