The
season started even earlier than we had thought this year with the first
Streaker Open meeting at Bough Beech. Setting off from Hove we followed the
A27/M27 to the Crawley turn off and then headed towards Edenbridge and then
Four Elms. We took a wrong turn at Bough Beech Village and ended up heading
towards Ide Hill on the west side of the reservoir. Having realised the mistake
we turned back and finally found the Sailing Club entry lane. On arrival we
discovered that the Streakers were in a joint meeting with Contenders and
Phantoms with these two fleets starting before the twelve of us. Whilst the
boats were rigged in the comparative calm of the trees at the top of the
slipway there was a strong (top end force 4) south westerly blowing from the
dam end of the reservoir. The reach out to the committee boat start area was
quite lively sail.
The
RO for the day set a longer course for the big boys but both courses starting
from the Committee boat, positioned just north west of the with a windward leg
towards the south west corner of the dam as shown below.
At
the start of race 1 all the Streakers were close to the line with Chris Hatcher
(Maragte) first away near the Committee boat end with Veronica Falat (Waveney
& Oulton Broad just to windward but a touch behind. In midline Ian Bradley
(Ouse ASC), Matt and Ian Whitfield (Tamworth) all crossed simultaneously with
Jeremy Daniels (Bough Beech) at the pin end.
Most of the fleet continued on
Starboard tack heading
for the east shore.
Very soon Ian Bradley pulled out in the lead which he was to hold to the finish although challenged by Matt and with Veronica managing to hold Ian.W behind her.
The
races were held back to back, albeit with three fleets to be started, a goodly
delay between finishing the last in the Streaker fleet and its next start.
Race
2 started with Alan first to cross the line, close to the committee boat, but
effected by its wind shadow and not moving fast. Just to leeward Chris.H was
rapidly away ahead of those further down the line although Ian.B was hard on
his heels and slightly higher on the wind and was very soon holding the lead
once more. Not far up the first leg a boat capsized, thought to be Chris.A,
although he soon recovered and came home 7th at the finish. Ian.B
was first to round the windward mark (and held this position to the finish) followed
by Chris,Ian.W and then Mathew.
At the end of the reach and at the
aforementioned Gybe mark (No 3) Mathew allowed his boom to hit the water, with
the resulting capsize. He quickly re-righted, with some glorious acrobatics,
but had been passed by about four boats and finished his race in 6th
place with dad Ian.W taking 2nd spot and Veronica another 3rd
place. Chris.H was 4th and Jeremy 5th. 7th place
went to Chris.A with Sandra taking another 8th, Peter 9th
and Alan was 10th,out of 10, as Neither Alex nor Keith took part in
this race. All then went ashore for lunch.
After
lunch, with the wind still as fresh as before, Race 3 started at 14.45.withChris.H
first away at the committee boat end of the line, with Jeremy on his windward
quarter.
Nearer to the pin end Ian.B stormed away with Veronica upwind and
almost level pegging over the line. Ian however seems to have had a good bit
more speed and by half way up the first windward leg was firmly in the lead
which he maintained to
the end of the race. Alan was at the back of the fleet at the start and more or
less stayed in that location. It was here that he had ‘words’ with Sandra –
rather she with him for tacking too close under her when she was on starboard –
and he was required to do turns which put him back yet another place to finish
10th once more. Veronica, on the downwind leg (from mark 4) capsized
as she was gybing half way down. Alan even passed her but she eventually
recovered, passing Alan, on the way to a 7th (discard) place.
Matthew made good to finish in second place behind Ian.B with dad Ian.W 3rd.
The
fourth and final race for the Streakers was off at 15.50 with Ian.B irst away
at the committee boat end this time. Second to cross as Ian.W just a tad to
leeward. Chris.H was there again in third place just ahead of Veronica. By the end
of the first windward leg Ian.B was in front and in control and pulling away from Ian.W on the following
reach to mark 3. The gybe at this mark, as mentioned previously was the main
hazard of the course with Matthew, Chris.A, Peter and even Sandra taking a dip
in the near vicinity in one race or another. Ian.B won this race with Veronica
and Chris.H both passing Ian.W to take 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. Four boats, Jeremy , Alex, Peter and Keith did not sail in this last race thus allowing Alan to get his best result of the day at 8th.
After
all the boats were packed up and competitors changed the prize giving took place
in the main clubroom. Ian Bradley took the top spot with four straight wins
with Veronica Falat second, Matthew Whitfield third and Ian Whitfield fourth.
Chris Hatcher was awarded the Streaker Burgee as the next highest positioned
helm.
Results;-
Overall
Sailed: 4, Discards: 1, To count: 3, Entries: 12,
Scoring system: Appendix A
SailNo
|
Club
|
HelmName
|
R1
|
R2
|
R3
|
R4
|
Total
|
Nett
|
1817
|
Ouse
Amateur
|
Ian
Bradley
|
(1.0)
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
1.0
|
4.0
|
3.0
|
1829
|
Waveney
& Oulton Broad
|
Veronica
Falat
|
3.0
|
3.0
|
(7.0)
|
2.0
|
15.0
|
8.0
|
1901
|
Tamworth
|
Matthew
Whitfiled
|
2.0
|
(6.0)
|
2.0
|
5.0
|
15.0
|
9.0
|
1900
|
Tamworth
|
Ian
Whitfield
|
(4.0)
|
2.0
|
3.0
|
4.0
|
13.0
|
9.0
|
1720
|
Margate
|
Chris
Hatcher
|
(6.0)
|
4.0
|
5.0
|
3.0
|
18.0
|
12.0
|
1902
|
West
Oxfordshire
|
Chris
Abela
|
(10.0)
|
7.0
|
4.0
|
7.0
|
28.0
|
18.0
|
1603
|
Bough
Beech
|
Jeremy
Daniel
|
7.0
|
5.0
|
6.0
|
(13.0
DNS)
|
31.0
|
18.0
|
1632
|
Bough
Beech
|
Sandra
Hill
|
8.0
|
8.0
|
(9.0)
|
6.0
|
31.0
|
22.0
|
1819
|
Chipstead
|
Alex
Reindorp
|
5.0
|
(13.0
DNC)
|
8.0
|
13.0
DNS
|
39.0
|
26.0
|
1700
|
Lancing
|
Alan
Simmons
|
9.0
|
(10.0)
|
10.0
|
8.0
|
37.0
|
27.0
|
1820
|
Bough
Beech
|
Peter
Jones
|
12.0
|
9.0
|
11.0
|
(13.0
DNS)
|
45.0
|
32.0
|
1433
|
Redoubt
|
Keith
Macey
|
11.0
|
(13.0
DNC)
|
12.0
|
13.0
DNS
|
49.0
|
36.0
|
