Lovely venue, shame about the weather. It was so windy on Sunday of the August Bank Holiday that a couple of waterspouts were seen scudding across Bridlington Bay, and racing had to be cancelled both that day and on the Monday, too.

So it is just as well that the very accommodating team at the Royal Yorkshire Yacht Club had been prepared to run a couple of races on the Saturday afternoon, despite many of them having only just arrived back from the Dart 18 Worlds at Weymouth in the early hours of the morning.

Above: the wide beach at Bridlington, with launching at any tide

For Race 1, Alastair picked the port bias and then stalled to blow the advantage and Gareth Ede and Cliff Antill got the best of a rather ragged start, as the seven-strong fleet struggled with high winds and heavy gusts. Gareth, followed by Cliff, steadily stretched his lead over the triangle/windward-leeward/triangle course. Gareth’s father, Stuart, initially led the chasing pack, but was overhauled on the next beat by George Evans.

This order (Gareth, Cliff, George and Stuart) then held until the last beat when Neal Graneau, who was closing the gap on Stuart, again decided to head alone up the left side, staying longer out to sea hoping to keep the fresh breeze and gain from the tide . Stuart was about to tack to cover Neal, when he picked up some pressure and decided to stick with it up the right side, and was to rue his decision when Neal crossed the line just ahead to snatch fourth.

For Race 2 the adjusted and shortened line still had a small port bias. Cliff going for a port start was caught by the starboard pack, but was content to finally cross last and take a long port board to the right side towards the shore, his original plan.

The remaining fleet in close contention was seized with a mass competitiveness, overstanding the turn to the mark more and more, until some mistook the wing mark for the windward mark. Neal realised the mistake, appealing for room to tack but was trapped by boats on his shoulder. By the time reality had dawned, Cliff was a distant figure up at the windward mark, and he sailed the race alone with an unassailable lead.

Neal led the chastened pack back to the correct mark, and the rest came round in quick succession. Neal was overtaken on the next beat by first Gareth and then Stuart. These two progressively pulled away from the pack, but could only marginally close the gap on Cliff as everyone battled through some hairy squalls

Although places stayed in order, there was plenty of action, with the wind and sea building; Chris, trying trapezing on the reaches, dived and turned turtle.

The arrival of a dark cloud front brought sudden fierce hail and then driving rain (the beach on return pock-marked from the impacts) Neal just made it to the windward mark as visibility closed down, and reached across the gusts emerging out of the front of the rain, only to be caught again. Alastair emerged from the easing rain to find the shadowy boat he had been beating towards was a fishing boat, taking him well beyond the mark and to the far back of the race.

  Sunday morning brought increased wind, with dark gusts across the  water, with a forecast for more through the day (the best forecast offering 17 mph basic but 50 mph gusts, a forecast proving only half right.) and a clear consensus that racing was not on.

That afternoon, while Chris and Barbara walked in woods with mounting alarm as branches began to break off and fall, and Neal and Majella watched 10’ rollers coming through Whitby Harbour entrance, they received calls that their tents had been demolished back at the club, rescued by the offer to camp in the club buildings.

   Monday gave the last chance to race, and the wind was less extreme, but still whipping the tops off the surf coming in. Forecast relief would come only late afternoon, and the series was readily wound up at two races.

Above: Boats tied down, and the surf rolls in Monday morning

Cliff and Gareth were left on equal points with a first and second each. Behind these two George, Stuart and Neal each had eight points.
Count back left George and Stuart vying for the last podium place with a third and a fifth each, but the tie was then broken in Stuart’s favour on the result of the last race. (Neal’s two fourths still left him behind Stuart and George, at fifth, with consistency penalised, as it had been for him at Pagham.)

Count back could not break the tie between Gareth and Cliff, so it came down to the result of the last race, which gave Cliff first place overall. (Rumours that everyone let Cliff win because it was his birthday were strongly denied, especially after he plied all those present with bubbly and cakes.)

                                                                    Overall results

                                  1st      Cliff Antill              (CCA)                        3 points
                                  2nd     Gareth Ede           (Filey SC)                 3
                                  3rd      Stuart Ede            (Filey SC)                 8
                                  4th      George Evans      (Bala Cat Club)       8
                                  5th      Neal Graneau       (CCA)                        8
                                  6th      Alastair Forrest   (CCA)                       12
                                  7th      Chris Phillips       ( CCA)                       16