Conwy Fife One Design 'A' Series Race 22 at Royal Anglesey Yacht Club

Conwy Fife One Design 2022 'A' Series race 16 © Ian Bradley

Should have done the lottery!

The penultimate race of the season saw the fleet presented with a fairly gentle and variable NW breeze and a building Menai Bridge bound tide. Although the programme suggested a 'long distance race', common sense prevailed and Nick set course 9 (Friars, ODM(s), Castle, Friars, Hwfa, Friars, Hwfa, Finish). Whilst Nick took the Race Management team through their warm up exercises, the fleet tried to decide just where to start?

Logically (and its not often you can say that about the Beaumaris start line!) the obvious place was by the wall, avoiding as much of the tide as possible, but with the wind direction meaning there was little wind under Mount Field, further out seemed favourite, far enough out to get the wind, close enough in to avoid the worst of the tide, a difficult balance.

A clean start saw those who got it right 1 (Martin, Catherine & Tim) and 5 (Andy & Dave) making an early break for freedom and those who got it wrong, 38 (Mike and Steve) and 24 (Pippa & Mike) making an early challenge for the wooden spoon. The long Port tack towards Friars confirmed the fleets worst fears as the wind was very fickle in both direction and strength. 5 eventually rounded first closely followed by 1, with 15 (Tak & Captain Trevor) 28 (Jeremy and Sarah), 35 (Hugo & Bob), 41 (Family Yates) and 33 (Merfyn & Simon). At the back the 'also rans' 38, 22 (Roger & Darren), 29 (Trigger, Kim & Ian), 40 (Miggy & friends) and 24 were having their own private battle.

As the leaders headed towards Castle, 33 suffered a crew malfunction, meaning that Simon had to be taken ashore for medical attention after getting a nasty carbon fibre splinter from the spinnaker pole in the hand (get well soon Simon), unfortunately this led to the end of 33's race. Meanwhile as the leading pack pulled further and further away from your reporter at the back making identification difficult. I think 5 still led around the leeward mark, followed by 1 and 15, but couldn't swear to it, as they were to far away to read the sail numbers.

The route back to Friars for the second time was another tricky choice, take the really painful tack back to the Anglesey shore to avoid the tide, or stay over the banks to get better wind, of the leading group, 15 & 35 headed off to Beaumaris, while the rest of the fleet headed for the ODMS to follow the banks route. I think somewhere on this leg (I wasn't close enough to see and was anyway preoccupied with the desperate fight to avoid the wooden spoon) 1 managed to get past 5 and 41 moved through the fleet into third, with 15, 28 & 35 still in the hunt for glory.

By the time the back of the fleet arrived at Beaumaris for the second time, we were meeting the leaders returning, in what seemed to be a decent lifting breeze. A rather despondent group of 5 tailenders rounded Hwfa to see the distant leaders (who by now were in a different postcode) now dealing with a heading breeze.

At this stage it would be good to be able to talk about 'changing gear' or superior 'tactical ability' by those at the back, but the reality was it was down to right time, right place, so on behalf of the tailenders, I would like to apologise to those at the front for what happened next.

Having wallowed for a while off Beaumaris, when it looked as if the wind was going to die altogether at one stage, we finally started to get some breeze and it had swung to the west, so, we, the tailenders, with 38 to the fore were able to head for Parkers Perch (a combination of an generous lift and a healthy dose of lee bow Tide) arriving at the Perch, 38 could see wind all the way to Friars, whilst the leaders who had been pushed out over the banks were having to face a long painful tack across tide to get to the mark. 38 carried on more in hope than expectation, waiting for the inevitable header that would ruin their day, 29,22 & 40 were also making hay while the sun shone. Amazingly, the wind held and as 1 headed back towards the finish (the course having been shortened) the tail enders sailed on, saying nothing and with fingers crossed and breathe held. 38 managed to take a couple of short tacks in towards Anglesey in the headers and followed a rather surprised 15 (mind you they were no more surprised than Mike & Steve!!) around Friars in 3rd place, next to round were a 'disappointed' 5 & 35 (they was robbed!).

The down tide run to the finish saw no changes to the order with 1 finishing in an extremely comfortable 1st place with 15 in second and 38 in 3rd. After that came 5, 35, 28, 41, 29, 22, 40 and 24.

As the politically incorrect saying goes, 'it ain't over till the fat lady sings!'.