Silver Scorpion open meeting at Chew Valley Lake Sailing Club

Silver Scorpion open meeting at Chew Valley Lake © CVLSC

Chew Valley Sailing club were host to the first Silver Scorpion event of the 2023 season. 15 boats arrived on Saturday morning to a monsoon of rain which soon cleared as the fleet was rigging which brought out a swarm of midgies!

The Scorpion class is in a great place at the moment with new builder Winder boats producing a batch of new boats throughout the winter, along with the last couple of Ovington boats making their debut this season. It is an exciting time for the class.

The fleet launched into a light and shifty Northerly breeze for three races. Pete and Rich, who are always keen to keep their feet dry, decided to use the pontoon which was a bad call as the pair went for an early bath!

You could tell that it was first race of the season the fleet were very eager on the start line and the individual recall flag was dually put into use with Sam Squared and Tom Lonsdale and Emily Cole Evans turning back to restart. Clearly the "In a minute" pair could not tell the time!

Angus and Fraser Hemmings had clearly been practising their starting over the winter charging off the line. Pete Gray and Rich Pepperdine had borrowed the wifes old boat "Bearly Illegal" to finish second in race 1 just ahead of "50 shades of Gray" now sailed by Dan Henderson and Amy Clay who managed to rig their new boat on their own for the first time!

In races 2 and 3 Sam Pascoe and Sam Barker got to grips with their new boat and the shifts to bang in two seconds and Chris Martin and John Tailby showing that wooden boats are still just as competitive finishing third in race 2 with Pete and Rich grabbing a third in Race 3. But it was Tom Gillard and Rach Gray who won the day with three bullets in their new Winder boat "The Essence of Wetness".

The fleet returned to shore to wash the midgies out of the boats and for a few beers (too many beers for some!) in the bar to catch up with friends and the fireball fleet!

With an early start on Sunday and not much wind the fleet launched to an even shiftier and colder breeze than the day before. With races being abandoned and courses reset there was a bit of waiting around before the breeze finally filled in for the final race of the day.

Dave Winder and Bob found their pace in race 4 pulling in a third in Dave's first weekend sailing a Scorpion and the all-female crew of Debi and Char in Quackers sailed brilliantly to take third in the final race of the day.

Tom and Rach took two more bullets relishing the shifty conditions making them the winners of the first event of the season. However, the battle was on for the final podium sports between Pete and Rich and Sam Squared. Sam and Sam sailed very consistently with two seconds and finished on a high by winning the final race of the day with a port flyer leaving them in second overall and Pete and Rich in third.

With four of the top five boats being sailed by sailors who work in the sailing industry the Scorpion fleet is one of the most competitive dinghy classes out there! Come and join the fun at the next Silver Scorpion event which is at Notts County over the weekend of 29th/ 30th April. With the biggest home Scorpion fleet in the country its sure to be a huge turn out!

Overall Results: