On a cold September morning with very little wind the fleet of 17 mirrors set sail on Pennine water. There was some high quality light wind sailing especially from Emma Clayton and Faye Caswell who mastered the fluky conditions claiming two 1st and a 4th.
The sailing was tough but George Richards and Alexander Baird who had never sailed together flew through the fleet taking a third. The girls had made quite a margin but it was still all to play for the next day with second, third and forth tightly spaced.
Photos by Ashley Shepherd, Trinket-centric Photography Inc.
The social took place in the Clubhouse where delicious meals were put together by the hard working galley staff. The adults sat in a civilised circle around the children in the middle of the room. We had a glorious dish of potatoes, carrots, peas and pork, though there was a quorn option. This delicacy was followed up by a dessert of cake and ice cream, which went down very well.
The next day we were once again met by the beautiful scene of Pennine water, again with light winds and a very hospitable galley member, greeting us with hot chocolate and bacon butties! After considerable amounts of urging the wind to fill in, a cool breeze came from the East, allowing our prompt launch onto the water.
Slowly the wind increased and by the end of the race the wind was a steady 10 knots. The first race saw Emma Grayson take her first win. The next race breezed up a touch more and was tightly contested with four boats very close together. Amy Jenkins, being the youngest competitor, sorted out her Father and got him off the line without a black flag, winning two races in the process.
Going into the last race, any one of four boats could have won the championship, but Rory Odell and Lewis Bowen held their nerve to secure a fine 3rd place to secure their first open meeting win.
A big thank you to Pennine Sailing Club for wonderful hospitality and Crewsaver for their generous support for the event: a great time was had by all.
Report by Rory Odell
