Wanderer Open Meeting at Grafham Water Sailing Club
by Dave Bardwell 13 Jun 00:36 NZST
25-26 May 2024
The Wanderer fleet gathered for their inaugural Open Meeting at Grafham Water Sailing Club over the weekend of 25th and 26th of May.
Saturday afternoon initially provided shifty light breezes from the West North-West, backing as the wind speed steadily increased. This caused the Race Officers Jonathan and Trish Knights to shift marks on the trapezoid course between the four scheduled 45-minute duration back-to-back races.
In the first race, Colin and Sally Gilbert from GWSC in 1819 enjoyed the best start, and they led at the first mark by four or five boat lengths from visitors Ian Simpson and Dave Bardwell in 1004, who then broached on the following tight reach after unwisely hoisting their spinnaker. This allowed the Gilberts to extend their lead. Steve Nott and Steve Wingham from GWSC in 1841, enjoying their first Wanderer open meeting, were next to round the windward mark. As newcomers to racing, Ben and Sarah Nicolle were getting to grips with 1609 on the first beat, in close company with visitors Richard and Johnie Elliott in 718. The Gilberts were all set to take the bullet after having led for three laps, but in a nail-biting final off-wind leg could not stop Simpson and Bardwell sailing over them.
Races two and three saw 1004 and 1819 alternately leading up the first beat with Simpson and Bardwell gradually pulling ahead on the off-wind legs. As the day progressed the wind backed and the start line became port end biased, encouraging port flyers and some close competition through the fleet, but the final places remained similar.
Sunday dawned with light showers and a forecast of thunder and lightning later in the day. The breeze was now blowing more strongly and from the South South-East. The Wanderers were welcomed to join the club racing start 2 for the first two races to complete their 6 race regatta, with the kind collaboration of race officer Chris Clarke.
This was the first Wanderer Open at Grafham Water Sailing Club and a fine two days of sailing had been enjoyed. Visitors commented on good race organisation, ample safety boat support (thanks to Mike and Lesley Bennet), superb off-water facilities and a very welcome club-house dinner served by Lisa and her staff on Saturday night. Photographs of the event can be viewed at the Grafham Water SC photo gallery.
Grafham Water SC is based in Cambridgeshire and offers some of the best inland sailing in the country. With an RYA training school and active Youth section, the club is open to all classes of boat with strong fleets of Dart 15s, A-class catamarans, Lasers/ILCAs, Solos, D-Zeros, RSs and Flying Fifteens. For more information about the club please visit the website at www.grafham.org or call the club on 01480 810478. Follow the club on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pg/grafhamwatersc
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | Crew | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 1004 | Ian Simpson | Dave Bardwell | Tudor Sailing Club | ‑1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 1819 | Colin Gilbert | Sally Gilbert | Grafham Water Sailing Club | ‑2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 10 |
| 3 | 1841 | Steve Nott | Steve Wingham | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 3 | ‑4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 718 | Richard Elliott | Johnie Elliott/ | Arun Yacht Club | 4 | 3 | ‑5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 20 |
| 5 | 1609 | Ben Nicolle | Sarah Nicolle | Grafham Water Sailing Club | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | ( DNC | 6 | 24 |