Illusion Trafalgar Trophy at Bembridge Sailing Club

The third Trafalgar Trophy was held in light winds over the weekend of October 20th/21st, organised by the Bembridge Sailing Club. Twelve boats entered for the first regatta of the season with top international names like Cudmore and Gosling taking part. It was good for the BSC that James Wilson a new member who was so successful in the spring should win the first three races.

In the first race he showed the Nelson touch and cut through the starting line on port at full speed on port tack, kept up his momentum in ghosting conditions and was off to victory by a substantial lead. Harold Cudmore without his new sails and struggling to find that extra speed could only manage three-seconds on the first day. Hugh Evans and Vernon Stratton both managed to get to the windward mark first in one race. Ian Clayton hot back from Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez was determined not hang around and was third at the end of the day.

Sunday brought a fine day with a tactical wind that kept everyone's toes dancing on their pedals, trying to sort out the constant windshifts. Adam Gosling after a tune up with Harold chose the right way and cruised to the Finnish ahead of Ian with James a respectable third. Race two was changing all the way with Harold just getting the gun from James on the line with Adam third. David Curling rusty after a year's sabbatical kept forgetting to go through the start line. In the last race he squeezed ahead of Harold for second place behind Ian Clayton with James Wilson content to be fourth as he had already won the replica of the Victory cannon for his mantelpiece for a year. Oliver Morgan the architect for the new building of the Club which is now well underway, enjoyed his new Illusion, but found a lot of strings to pull after a successful season Scow racing.

Overall Results: