The Grafham Cat Open will again mark the end of the racing season, on 17th-18th October.

 Grafham Water is a large reservoir with clean wind providing excellent sailing, and there has been a range of weathers there, with past balmy Indian Summer days!

 The Club itself is situated in Perry on the south side of the lake.

  Besides being eligible for handicap prizes, classes fielding 8 or more boats qualify for fleet prizes, and we had 8 Catapult entries in 2019, so it's a case of the more the merrier!

 The Open events have a great atmosphere, with cats of all sizes. The fast cats have a separate course and sailing area, so Catapult sailing is un-pressured, sharing a trapezoidal course with the Sprint 15s, and usually being part (most) of an Open Medium Handicap fleet. (Gareth and John were 2nd and 3rd on handicap in 2019)

Entries (Based on 2019, tbc)

The entry fee will be 43 pounds for the weekend (including a 2 course meal for one at the club on the Saturday evening) plus the Association levy. Early entry is advised, given the number of fleets racing, and entry after 1200 on Friday 20th incurs an additional fee.You are strongly advised to enter online in advance  and book any camping or additional meal tickets with payment by PayPal.

 On the GWSC website (www.grafham.org), pull down the Sailing & Racing menu, click on Forthcoming Open Meetings and select Entry next to Grafham Cat Open and complete the form. The Notice of Race can also be found there.

 If entering online or paying by PayPal is problematic for you, then it is advisable to contact the GWSC office on 01480 810478 or at office@grafham.org.The Association levy will be collected on the day by our Event Liaison person, George Evans (george.evans76062@gmail.com, 01606 76062, 07946 109216).

                             

Racing (TBC) There will be 6 races: 3 back-to-back on Saturday (first start 13.00) and 3 back-to-back on Sunday (first start 10.30). There will be 1 discard when 4 or more races have been sailed. There will be 2 starts: Sprint 15s and medium handicap (including us) Even if you have booked in advance, you’ll still need to go to the Race Office to pick up the Sailing Instructions, boat tags and meal tickets. There will be a race briefing at 11.55  on Saturday in the wet bar. Courses have been consistently simple port-rounding trapezoids, with quite long legs, started from the Committee boat. The big Sprint 15 fleet has usually had its own final rounding mark, reducing  congestion in the short beat up to the starting gate. Some handicap boats (and some Sprints) tack downwind, so can arrive suddenly at the downwind mark (and may be on starboard about to gybe when we are running down on port.)

Accommodation
Those with camper vans and tents can pitch themselves in the club grounds, but not caravans because of lease restrictions. There is a charge of 15 pounds per night for campervans, and 10 for tents, and you must pre-book  (admin@grafham.org or 01480 810478)

 It is on a first come first served basis, and if you are not pre-booked you will not be allowed to stay. Please note that the fast cats are back plus the large Sprint 15 fleet, so demand will be high

There is a long list of local B&Bs, guest houses, inns, hotels, self catering accommodation and campsites on the Grafham website, www.grafham.org/?page_id=94 , so it should be easy enough to find somewhere good to stay. Tourist information can be obtained from 01480 388588 or www.visithuntingdonshire.org.

 

The social side There is no discount if you do not take the inclusive meal, so like last year we plan to eat at the club rather than book a separate meal elsewhere. Extra meal tickets can be bought before 12.00 on the Saturday for non-sailing partners. The menu is contained in the Notice of Race. Local interest Those wanting to do a bit of sightseeing can wander among the dreaming spires of Cambridge, or enjoy the delights of nearby Huntingdon, Godmanchester and St Ives. Nearby stately homes and gardens include Woburn Abbey, Bushmead Priory, Wimpole Hall and Houghton House. For the more active there is Xscape in Milton Keynes, while flying buffs will enjoy the Shuttleworth Collection near Biggleswade. Ely Cathedral and the Fens are also in easy reach. So there is something for all the family.