Firefly Open Meeting at Wembley Sailing Club

Sunday 14th April 2002

Following a consistent performance through all three races Ian Sanderson and Louise Neckar from the Royal Lymington Yacht Club took home the Autumn Trophy from Wembley Sailing Clubs Firefly Open. Ian and Louise had to fight hard for the trophy, particularly with husband and wife team Barney and Nina Smith.

Part of the National Firefly Associations M25 Travellers Trophy, the event saw typical Wembley conditions with light and shifty breezes blowing across Brent Reservoir. A substantial number of holes in the breeze made for exciting racing with much place changing throughout the fleet. As always at Firefly events, boat age is irrelevant with the winning boat a 2 year old Rondar plastic, and second place taken by a 30 year old Fairey wood hull.

Fourteen boats from seven different clubs attended the meeting with two of the top three helms from last years nationals comprising the experienced end of the fleet. Several newcomers to the Firefly Open Circuit were made welcome and Nicola Marshall and Cara Chapman from Taplow Lake SC who were sailing a Firefly for the very first time took home plenty of tuning tips and promised to come back for more.

Next Firefly Class event is the popular three day South West Area Championships at Restronguet SC in Cornwall over the May Bank Holiday Weekend. The event will also incorporate the Single handed National Championship to be raced on the Sunday afternoon. A big entry is expected who will enjoy the usual Cornish Hospitality and hopefully big wind and wave conditions.

Alternative Report from David Evans:

Fourteen Fireflies gathered at the Welsh Harp on April 14th for the inappropriately named Autumn Trophy Open Meeting. This was one of the first events since the Harp was refilled and benefitted from the absence of the weed which has caused some difficulties in recent years. However a light shifty breeze blowing across the lake from the North-West shore provided sufficiently challenging conditions for the Race Officer and competitors alike.

In the first race, Barney & Nina Smith established an early lead which soon became unassailable and finished comfortably ahead of Ian Sanderson & Louise Neckar, with Nigel Wakefield & Rachel Crebbin third.

The second race was a closer battle between the same three boats, with Sanderson/Neckar eventually winning from Smith/Smith and Wakefield/Crebbin. The third race would thus be decisive, and in a freshening wind Wakefield/Crebbin came through to win, securing third place overall. Sanderson/Neckar were second and Smith/Smith third, leaving them tied overall on points. The computer invoked rule A8.3 to break the tie in favour or Sanderson/Neckar. Simon Gillow & Tracey Hill had finished consistently just outside the top three, and were rewarded with fourth place overall.

Overall Results: