Erith Yacht Club open weekend
by Sarah Mees 13 Sep 2006 23:15 BST
9 - 10 September 2006
On Saturday and Sunday 9th and 10th September 2006 Erith Yacht Club hosted
it's annual Open weekend on the tidal Thames. Entry is free to any visiting
yachts or dinghies and a total of 24 boats took part with visits to the club
ship from the local RNLI crew. One yacht race and one dinghy race took
place each day, with a good F3 starting the dinghies. Later gusts of 3-4
meant taxing considitions for some and Peter Reeves' (EYC,
Snipe, junior) capsize meant he could not hold onto a place near to the
much-chased Bosun 1011 helmed by current Bosun National Champion Derrick
Page (Gloucestershire).
Sundays race used the same windward/leeward course
in less wind, which dropped to cause a shortening of course, but proved
fickle enough to increase as the fastest boat (Osprey, Stubbers Young
Mariners) came to the finish. Reeves hung onto to his cracking start until
the second lap and was only beaten on hanidcap by 28 seconds. There was
some very close racing between the 4 Wayfarers and GP14. A guest handicap
was arranged for the Tinker Tramp (John Edmonds, EYC) which gained him 5th
place.
The prize giving took place on the sun deck of the club ship Folgefonn.