A good fleet of nine Catapults joined the Rutland club boats in bright summer sunshine, and elected the triangle dinghy course to give fast reaches, with pairs of back-to-back races morning and afternoon   

The Rutland Race Officer had the local RAF station to confirm a forecast of SW strong breeze, 17-20 but gusting 30, so morning conditions were testing but exhilarating . The first casualty of the gusts was John Terry, with a forestay failure dropping the rig before the start, missing the second morning race. Stuart Ede then found his shrouds stretching, and back on shore discovered a persisting floppy leaking hull, again not rescued until after lunch For Race 1, Alastair Forrest was well away at the start, with Gareth Ede moving fast to leeward, and these two stretched out. Disconcerted by the short beat, they were uncertain of the windward mark, and seeing each other as confidently powering ahead, led the whole fleet to a higher mark, repeating this each lap. With only Neal Graneau faintly calling the correct course and following on, the Race Officer very helpfully allowed this race to stand   (Left: Gareth watches Cliff powering up from leeward)

 

 

    Cliff Antill, revelling in the gusty trapezing conditions upwind, came steadily through to the front ahead of Gareth, and Paul Ellis caught Alastair to take third

Race two started in the same good breeze, the depleted fleet trapezing away from the start. For Alastair, a good start lasted a few yards only before a trapeze gear failure dumped him in.

All remaining competitors took to the trapeze to gain maximum power up the blowy first beat and this time they all found the correct windward mark. The wind stayed strong throughout the race with Gareth, Cliff and Paul jostling for the top three places. Gareth managed to hang on to a small lead to take 1st, followed closely by Paul and Cliff. Neal had missed the starting sequence, and distracted by Alastair’s gradual recovery from turning turtle, failed to notice the departing fleet, starting seven minutes behind, and following the others all around the course.

(Above: Dave threatens Neal downwind, Race Three)

The lunch break saw the predicted fall in wind speed, and shift west, and the return of John, and Stuart with one of Dave’s hulls, giving him a yellow boat from starboard and a blue one when he tacked, like Two-Face in “Batman Returns”. Race Three started in a moderate breeze, with only Gareth able to trapeze. Alastair led away with Paul hauling up on him, but meanwhile John Terry used local experience to go to the right from the start, up to the northern shore, and in spite of apparently lighter pressure, came whisking along the shore to take the lead. Chased by Paul and then Gareth, these three opened up a good duelling lead, staying very close, with Dave Jennings prominent in the next group fighting it out. Paul and then Gareth finally reeled John in. (Left: Stuart, blue and yellow hulls, covers Alastair like a rash)

For Race Four the dropping wind left sudden pressure gaps and larger shifts, with a chaotic mixed-fleet start (with early boats bearing away on the line. and a clashing of plastic and metal)

Paul took the lead by the second mark from John (who had again profited on the right) and beginning the second beat elected the left side into the middle of the lake. This time a shift and sustained breeze gave a huge advantage, which he extended to the end. Gareth and John fought out the next two places.

(Above: John Terry holds on to the lead from  Paul and Gareth in Race 3)

Further back, on the next lap Cliff repeated Paul’s big gain--- following a group round the leeward mark, he could not point up to the gate and was forced to tack out into the middle of the lake, again finding pressure, pulling to the front of the main group which had followed the accepted tactic out to the right..

The runs tightened the back markers up, and at the finish six boats finished over 45 seconds, the Committee finishing horn tooting away as though playing Colonel Bogey

(Andrew Allison in a RSC safety ribs very helpfully took the photos, and  thanks go to the club at www.rutlandsc.co.uk ----see also Photos and more photos some of the best catamaran sailing and racing in the UK)  

Overall Results

Sailed: 4, Discards: 1, To count: 3, Entries: 9,

                                             Club                 R1          R2    R3    R4     Total    Nett
1st    507      Paul Ellis             Marconi SC         (3)          2        1      1         7       4
2nd    91       Gareth Ede          Filey SC             (2)          1        2      2        7        5
3rd    17       Cliff Antill             CCA                   1           3       (5)     4        13      8
4th   533      John Terry            Rutland SC    (10 DNC)   10 DNC   3      3       26      16
5th   518      Justin Evans         CCA                   6            4       6    (7)       23      16
6th   512      Neal Graneau        CCA                   5            5      (9)    9        28      19
7th   531      Stuart Ede           Filey SC        (10 DNF)   10 DNC    4     6        30      20
8th   513      Alastair Forrest     CCA                    4     (10 DNC)   8     8        30      20
9th   2090     David Jennings     Aquarius SC   (10 DNC)  10 DNC     7     5        32      22