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Programme 2010
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Rutland pictures
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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
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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)
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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.
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(Above:
Dave threatens Neal downwind, Race Three) |
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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)
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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

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