Thirty-eight Starters assembled under the burgee of Pegasus Sailing Club, Uphill, Weston-Super-Mare. A preliminary visual inspection of all boats revealed a number of relatively minor out of class faults. Owners were requested to rectify as soon as possible, and it was pointed out that the winning
boat would be completely measured. There was also the possibility of protest by another competitor.
The practice race opened with a very light W.S.W. wind, which combined with a foul tide to cause many boats to be late to the starting line. This same wind and tide caused further embarrassment at the second gybe mark.
Only one round was possible, with the first honours and Pegasus Cup going to ‘Triarder’ 47565, P. Vincent, Exe S.C. Second was ‘Ghemu’ 48826, J. Burfltt, Littleton S.C., and third ‘Whizper,’ P. Radgick, Exe S.C. The first race proper saw a sea breeze effect strengthen the wind, competitors overcame their tide problems, and two rounds were possible. The winner was later entry and dark horse,‘Minigogo’ 554 (yes 554!), A. Miles, Clevedon S.C., second was ‘The Tub’ 48796, E. Dunhill, and third ‘Sidewinder’ 51000, Chris Sidey, I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C.
The evening barbecue was well attended. The semi-starvation and dehydration effects of two consecutive races were well and truly remedied, with occasional breaks for earnest Mirror talk.
The second and third races saw the form book assert itself, with Chris Sidey winning both races. A. Miles again did well, with a second place in the second race, closely followed by P. Radgick. Local star, ‘Hurry Curry’ 41960, Pegasus S.C., took third place in both these races (Editors note: ? How can both P. Radgick and N Curry be third in race 2?).
Probably the only jarring note in the two days was the second race tail-enders being buzzed by a power boat race. This happened in spite of careful pre-event precautions by Pegasus. Fortunately, no mishaps occurred, the main dangers being loss of concentration and wetsuit soiling.
The winning boat was weighed and checked for all measurements, a nerve-wracking experience for owner and measurers alike, under the critical eyes of a large audience.
| Rank | Boat | Sailors | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 |
| 1 | 51000 - Sidewinder | Chris & Mark Sidey | I.P.C. (lver) Y.C. | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 554 - Minigogo | A. Miles | Clevedon S.C. | 1 | 2 | |
| 3 | 47311 - Whizper | Paul Radgick | Exe S.C. | 3? | ||
| 4 | 41960 - Hurry Curry | N. Curry | Pegasus S.C. | 3? | 3 | |
| 5 | 48796 - The Tub | E. Dunhill | Worthing Y.C. | 2 | ||
| 6 | 47565 - Triarder | P. Vincent | Exe S.C. | |||
| 7 | 22007 | P. Lapes | Bristol Corinthian Y.C. | |||
| 8 | 4195 | J. Bickell | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 9 | 43223 | K. Gosling | Sidmouth S.C. | |||
| 10 | 48826 - Ghemu | J. Burfitt | Littleron S.C. | |||
| 11 | 39630 | T. Roberts | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 12 | 26540 | M. White | Poole Y.C. | |||
| 13 | 12139 | D. Nicholls | Bristol Corin. | |||
| 14 | 12876 | A. Drew | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 15 | 25691 | G. Nicholls | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 16 | 51556 | A. Osborn | Felpham S.C. | |||
| 17 | 1811 | I. Inder | Tubar S.C. | |||
| 18 | 35727 | R. Conibere | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 19 | 26416 | N. Fitch | Felpham S.C. | |||
| 20 | 41270 | M. Harris | Felpham S.C. | |||
| 21 | 21872 | S. Humphrey | Thornbury S.C. | |||
| 22 | 46780 | J. White | Bristol Corinthian Y.C. | |||
| 23 | 36683 | H. Mould | Port of Bristol | |||
| 24 | 12651 | G. Gillett | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 25 | 37764 | D. Hillier | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 26 | 33351 | S. Hawkes | Sutton Bingham | |||
| 27 | 11926 | J. Askew | Sutton Binghatn | |||
| 28 | 20914 | R. Owers | Poole Y.C. | |||
| 29 | 43359 | D. Whitehead | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 30 | 31764 | C. Slocombe | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 31 | 31044 | P. Davies | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 32 | 15287 | J. Ashcroft | Sandwell Valley | |||
| 33 | 43476 | J. Bishop | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 34 | 12311 | M. Parry | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 35 | 14203 | J. Huish | Pegasus S.C. | |||
| 36 | 48000 | M. Chilcott | Chew Valley S.C. | |||
| 37 | 32028 | W. Owen | Restronguet S.C. | |||
| 38 | 25839 | T. Saunders | Pegasus S.C. |
Prizes
| Trophy | Awarded for | Winner |
| Pegasus Cup | Winner of Practice Race | P. Vincent |
| Whitbread Trophy | Winner of Race No. 2 | Chris & Mark Sidey |
| Western Area Trophy | Winner of the Western Area Championship | Chris & Mark Sidey |
Mrs. Webb presented the prizes to the following winners:
| Rank | Boat | Sailors | Club |
| 1 | 51000 - Sidewinder | Chris & Mark Sidey | I.P.C. (Iver) Y.C |
| 2 | 554 - Minigogo | A. Miles | Clevedon S.C. |
| 3 | 47311 - Whizper | Paul Radgick | Exe S.C. |
| 4 | 41960 - Hurry Curry | N. Curry | Pegasus S.C. |
| 5 | 48796 - The Tub | E. Dunhill | Worthing S.C. |
| 6 | 47565 - Triarder | P. Vincent | Exe S.C. |
The Commodore led a worthy team, including your Chairman and the Fleet Captain, in organising this event. Of special note was the calm, cheerful way in which they carried out their duties. This in turn created a very friendly atmosphere among the competitors, and even the weather remained serene throughout.
Editors Note: This article is from Reflections No. 26 October 1976, page 12. It has been captured by OCR, so typos & errors are possible.
