Fireflys at the Ovington Inland Championships at Grafham Water Sailing Club

Ovington Inlands at Grafham Water © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Kameen kicks off 80th year anniversary with the win

Firefly racing is so much more than sitting in a boat, sailing round a track for a few races and then going home. It's about a break from normality, catching up with old friends, tinkering with your boat, doing some exercise and generally having fun. For 80- years the Firefly has been the boat of choice for so many. This year we're raffling off a nearly new Ovington special.. More at the end of the report!

For the last 7 years I have been working as a veg farmer, so opportunities to go sailing have become very limited especially during the 'normal' sailing season. The Ovington Spring series is one of the best events in the calendar for me, especially when it's nice and sunny! It was great to catch with my old Firefly buddies but also to be able to catch up with Nick Criag and Jon Gorringe, sailing an OK and K1. The latter I haven't seen for 31 years, though obviously have read about his victories in other classes and wondered how he was getting on!

The sailing this weekend was tricky, but the race officer did a great job of getting 2 races in, despite the fickle wind being from every direction.

In the first race Emily and I got off to a cracking start and managed to sneak around the windward mark just ahead of Jono Pank and Rachel Crebbin. As the wind died to nothing on the run, I was cross with myself for letting Jono get to the right, which was where I thought the wind, if it came, might come from. And so it proved, Jono ghosting past us just before the finish.

Ovington Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

Race 2 was really tricky as the wind shifted just before the start, meaning it was a reach/run to the first mark. So many race officers would have scrapped the race much to my annoyance. Light fickle wind sailing is hard and sometimes there is an element of luck. Off the start we found ourselves covered from behind which forced a change of strategy. We decided to sail out to the left hand side of the course, taking a few transoms on the way. We then caught the zephyr we needed to bear off and cross back in front of the fleet. This was a lead that we managed to extend for the rest of the race.

Meanwhile that first leg for the other 8 Fireflys was really hard as they got swallowed up by the K1 and OK fleet. How Jono managed to get round the pile up at the first mark I will never know, but he did and held on for 2nd at the finish leaving us tied on points. With the forecasted dropping we retired to the bar and had a brilliant night of catching up!

Sunday dawned with a light breeze which sadly dissipated by the eventual start time. After a short postponement, racing was finally abandoned and we had an early prize-giving.

Massive thank you to Emily for crewing, Jason for putting me up, Sebi for driving from Plymouth finishing 3rd and making us all laugh. The race officer for making it happen, Grafham Water Sailing Club volunteers, all the competitors from all the fleets and Nathan from Ovington's for organising and bringing us all together - thank you!

Firefly prize winners in the Ovington Inlands at Grafham Water - photo © Paul Sanwell / OPP

The 80th anniversary raffle

To celebrate the 80th anniversary the class is holding a raffle for a nearly brand new Ovington Firefly in full race spec! To get hold of a raffle ticket you need to sail a Firefly in your club races or at a Firefly event. The more you sail, the more tickets you get... I think! More details here.

Overall Results: