6 Mirrors joined a multitude of World and National champions in light and near-freezing conditions at Northampton SC for the Steve Nicholson Trophy; an ideal opportunity for the younger Mirror sailors to experience competing at a top level adult event and sailing in a larger fleet.
It was good to see Mirrors holding their inside line approaching the leeward mark forcing a gaggle of Lasers to go round the outside, although calling 'up' to a 505 on the start line isn't always going to result in a clear wind lane up the first beat. Sarah Richards - a former Lark champion - from Beaver SC sailing with her son George, lead the Mirrors with a 13th overall out of a double-handed fleet of 52 boats. Eleanor and Imogen Bellfield from Itchenor SC demonstrated that in the right hands the wooden boats are competitive against the foam sandwich Winders, coming in second Mirror at 28th overall.
Max Odell and Findley Boon from HISC/Northampton SC sailed a storming second race finishing 7th but a DNF in race one put them down at 32nd. Celia Hansell and Paddy Jefferies, a seasoned pairing from Itchenor SC, Midge and Harriet from the Watkins Mirror dynasty from Poole YC and the Hill brothers from West Lancs YC made up the rest of the red-sailed fleet - proving that the modern Mirror with single piece mast, centre mainsheet and appropriately sophisticated controls, is cracking parent/child and junior double-handed boat. Certainly not looking 50 years old!!
