Comet Open at Silver Wing Sailing Club
by Adam Wickenden 5 May 12:42 BST
2 May 2026
Ten Comets contested the Silver Wing Open on 2nd May 2026 for the Silverwing Comet Trophy, an old, and very heavy DeHavilland Heron propeller hub.
The light wind forecast had possibly reduced the number of entries. Those who had made the journey were keen to get started and sailing in the tentative breeze that was forming.
The plan was to run two back-back races, have lunch, then a further two back-back races.
The fleet were set an inverted 'P' course, a beat, short run and then two reaches. To give the proceedings an air of mystery the RO drew the course on the notice board with the two reaching marks labelled '?'. The idea being that we could lay the windward and first gybe marks, then pick the second gybe mark and leeward mark from Silverwing's clockface of buoys, depending on what the wind did when the committee boat got out on the lake. A course board on the side of the boat and a Jaffa leading the fleet round should solve any navigation problems.
We got the first race away just after 11:00 with a promising but soft wind from a direction that actually gave a beat. Eddie Pope in 377 was first to the first mark followed Peter Mountford in 864 and Henry Jaggers in 800. At the end of the short first run the wind then changed its mind as to what it was doing. The wind decided to back and the reach to the gybe mark became a run. This did a nice job of bunching the fleet up at the mark.
By the end of the first lap it was Eddie in 377 leading from Timothy Higgs in 849.
On the second lap the wind decided to veer as the fleet sailed from the second to third marks, the fleet now having to beat to the gybe mark. There was however wind, and it swung back making the intended beat actually a beat again, so we let them go for another lap. As Eddie approached the downwind mark for the last time the wind started to die, and by the time the rest of the fleet had finished it had gone completely.
We decided then to send the fleet to an early lunch and see if we could run 3 back-back races in the afternoon.
13:15 and puffs of wind started to form across the lake just as everyone had finished lunch. We quickly corralled the fleet and sent them out for the second race. We decided to keep the morning's course, the wind was not steady in direction, but there was nothing to be gained from changing the course to chase the wind.
With the 'gust' holding the fleet got away on a nice first beat, not sure it was going to last though. Steve Gregory in 231 lead Eddie in 377 round the first mark followed by Henry Jaggers in 800.
Then the wind died on the second lap. Timothy Higgs had now caught up, and he and Eddie were swapping places, however a gust from behind on the second run compressed the fleet. Eddie in 377 was able to pass Timothy Higgs and win the second race. The first two then pulled away, but the rest of the fleet were in a very tight bunch all the way to the finish.
We got race 3 away as soon as everyone had finished race 2. Ken Baker in 695 was definitely keen, he got an X-flag and had to come back. Eddie in 377 had just avoided this and ducked back over the line with a few seconds to spare.
Eddie Pope in 377 once again led from Alun Bevan in 694 and Timothy Higgs in 849. The wind had more body to it and was more stable, but the gusts were still causing the occasional large veer. On the second lap this occurred, putting the gybe mark in a hole and once more requiring the fleet to beat up to it. This once again allowed Eddie and Timothy Higgs to separate from the main body of the fleet, which once again was compressed giving everyone else some tight battles.
By the start of the third lap the wind had recovered its senses, the beat was a beat and many people were actually seen sitting out. There was much hope on the committee boat that we would indeed get the fourth race in.
At the end of lap 3 and the finish it was once again Eddie Pope, this time followed by Alun Bevan in 694.
The race team's enthusiasm was tempered by the fact that the air traffic into Heathrow had swapped direction, and were now landing to the east. The veer in the wind looked permanent. Time to change the course. We moved the start/finish line and the first downwind mark and changed the designation of the third and fourth mark - effectively flipping the inverted 'P' around.
Quick as we could we got them away, and then the wind died...a lot. In fact it flipped through 180 degrees. First clue being the committee boat decided to change the way it was pointing. The fleet beat to the first mark, then beat back to the second mark. Alun Bevan in 694 led from Eddie in 377. The wind had filled in from its new direction enough to make it worth another lap, however, by half way round the second lap it had become a drifter. We thus stopped at the end of lap 2 and sent everyone in for tea. Alun Bevan won race 4, with Eddie Pope second.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 377 | Eddie Pope | CSSA | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 2nd | 849 | Timothy Higgs | Burghfield SC | 2 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 7 |
| 3rd | 694 | Alun Bevan | Tata Steel SC | 5 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 8 |
| 4th | 864 | Peter Mountford | Staunton Harold SC | 3 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 11 |
| 5th | 800 | Henry Jaggers | Beer SC | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| 6th | 231 | Steve Gregory | Frensham Pond SC | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 12 |
| 7th | 695 | Ken Baker | Silver Wing SC | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 21 |
| 8th | 868 | Helen Evans | Silver Wing SC | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 22 |
| 9th | 420 | Thomas Bevan | Tata Steel SC | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 27 |
| 10th | 43 | Charlotte Mendes da Costa | Silver Wing SC | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 30 |