Hornet class at the Rutland Sailing Club Final Fling

Hornet class at the Rutland Final Fling © Hornet class

Rutland played host in style to the final open event in the Hornet calendar for 2022 with clear blue skies and warmer than average temperatures helping to maximise the fun and fear that can only come from a solid high 20 knot first day with action from the moment the boats left the slipway.

The usual racing area down by the dam meant a sleigh ride from the off just to reach it and prevented the usual spinnaker practice and general messing about. Arriving at the committee boat unscathed was an achievement in itself not lost on some of the Contenders!. The water for the weekend was being shared by a healthy turnout of these magnificent machines and several Javelins each having their own starts. Good to see some youth in the Javelins. The Hornets went last with a solitary Fireball for company.

Triangle, Sausage, Triangle was the order of the day and Mike McNamara wasted no time in establishing himself at the front with plenty of audible real time feedback from Harry as crew and general all round string pulling superstar. The local Fireball was revelling in the conditions and was good opposition all weekend. Curtis and Francis were attempting to sail conservatively for a while but the Spinnakers soon made an appearance and the reaches became a hectic blur of white water. The Fireball went swimming on occasion so gave good advance warning to the Hornets to keep the kite in the boat on that particular leg. As ever the windward mark was tricky to navigate for the last 100 yards with big gains and some losses made.

The first day played out in a familiar way with the top 3 boats never far apart, the highlight being the reach to the finish in the final race with McNamara leading only for Curtis and Francis to make big gains from a sneaky gust from behind launching them very close to the lead boat transom and an ever closing gap to the committee boat, somehow both boats got through with McNamara taking the win by the closest of margins.

The evening was spent in good company at the club with the Contenders and other competitors chewing the fat over all things sailing related, the night finishing unusually early for all as fatigue kicked in.

Sunday began promptly with similar conditions to the previous although the forecast was indicating an easing later on in the morning which was accurate in the end. The full complement of Hornets were afloat with Gary and Tracey having wisely decided that the Saturday may have been too much using the extra energy to pip Strangler and Pippa in the 4th race. For the second day running the familiar transom of Rhythm Stick 2109 popped out ahead and extended nicely for a comfortable win. The battle with the local Fireball being sailed well continued for the rest of us.

From Race 5 things began to change somewhat with the wind easing a little more, other teams began to make gains and the established order was finally shaken up in the last race when Curtis and Francis misjudged the pin in the final seconds of the start sequence leading to a crash tack into the path of Strangler and Pippa followed by an over exuberant roll tack back by the crew (normally sails an Osprey and didn't recalibrate!) leaving Curtis doing the dying fly in the back of a very wet boat and whilst this was going on Jo Powell and Rich Roberts navigated beautifully and quickly to take the lead. Curtis and Francis bounced back surprisingly quickly and began the task of reeling in 2115.

Slightly further back Mike McNamara had a minor infringement with the Fireball and duly did his turns. A lap later and the 2 leading Hornets were side by side at the Gybe mark with Curtis and Francis on the inside surely the win was theirs, but no that is not what happened with Jo and Rich accelerating comfortably away from under the lee leaving lots of scratching of heads from the boys from Dorset. A look backwards also left confusion as to the final points situation. No one really knew until the prize-giving, and yes it was very tight.

Hornet class at the Rutland Final Fling - photo © Hornet class

A good weekend's sailing, and although down on numbers the Hornets performed well in the conditions. Thanks to the Rutland race team who had to deal with a last minute change of PRO and who got all the races away very promptly which was appreciated by all.

So time now to dry off and tart up the boats ready for 2023 and of course the Hornet Nationals from Mumbles SC.

Overall Results: