A close run thing !!!!!

It has taken me months to get over it !

I arrived early, the day before in fact, so I was well prepared and rested for the race. We camped on a nearby hill campsite with the family, overlooking both the coastline and the harbour, quite a view when it stopped raining!

The boat was ready and I was I think as Dan, bleary eyed after his early morning drive rushed to put his boat together, enter and throw down some breakfast before we all ran across the bay to the committee boat. The bay for those who haven’t had the pleasure, is a near perfect circular area only bordered by a sea wall to the east and Chesil beach to the west measuring some mile and a half in diameter. The Navy have long since moved out of Portland but is still used, much to my son’s amusement, for the coastguard helicopter.

Unfortunately this year saw two huge empty high sided cargo ships moored in the middle, however these didn’t really get in the way as the wind direction kept the ample course to windward of them both. Phew!

Anyway, back to the racing. I took full advantage of Dan’s fatigue, he let me in on a port/starboard when he was heading for the dinghy’s windward mark and I carried on to round our mark clear ahead. The wind was a good 4-5 and it wasn’t long before I was doing my normal routine of looking back waiting to be caught. Luckily this course was one of the rare triangle ones and as I surfed down on a lovely reach a quick gybe saw me settle down for a safe victory after a couple more laps with Gary taking over in second and Dan third

( or at least that was what we all thought, the race committee had decided to add in a cruising three up Dart in first place although it hadn’t done the all the laps we had!

I was feeling lucky with two more races on that Friday. The second race was even faster, Dan led with me and Gary in hot pursuit, I was able to fly downwind and led at the lee mark to then keep Dan covered to the finish some 30 minutes of racing and two laps later!

The third race for the day saw some close racing again, this time Dan led from the start and sailed as he usually does, seemingly faultlessly to the finish but I did notice him looking back at us a lot and he even gave up ‘wildthinging’ have I rattled him????

A good day’s racing, I must add that the Cherubs were out in force as it was their Nationals sporting 35 boats, we saw many of them sprinting passed us downwind but we always got to the next mark in front as we remained upright but what a speed they go before they trip up!

Well it was back to camp and as the rain and wind came in we zipped ourselves inside our trailer tent. Later I ventured outside as we were taking off! I tied the tent down to a near bye tree on one side and the car on the other and with my weight holding it all down inside we were still there in the morning!

Day 2, Saturday the rain had gone, there was a nice breeze and Tanya had the tea on !

The start line looked ominously biased and as I went to the lee end I tried to disguise my observations by a short visit but you can’t pull the wool over Dan’s eyes, he was there at a flash so the two of us loitered around out of sight whilst the other classes started from the committee boat end. We couldn’t believe our luck as nobody else had twigged it! Dan a bit braver than me as I was too busy congratulating myself at the decision I had made a perfect start on Port with a hull flying and no looking back. I was only a couple of lengths behind but still a good 10 metres and a tack ahead of the rest as I started. We sailed away Dan finishing 13 seconds in front as we crossed tacks at the finish with Gary a safe third.

Two more races and someone from the Cherubs had obviously said something to the committee the night before as we were sent on three identical courses of windward leeward courses away from their course. No problem but it did get a bit of a routine as there was only one way to go!

I managed two more firsts from Dan after a few changed places it was very close but a good days racing. I returned to camp with what I thought was 4 firsts and two seconds against Dan with two firsts three seconds and a third. With only two races on Sunday I only needed one race to count ( 7 from 8 ), so I felt assured of at least joint first if Dan won both and I finished no lower than third. As it turned out ( if you discard the error with the dart win ), I was poised for my first major win against Dan and to be honest I was happy to settle for equal first with this maestro.

We both watched the starts go by until it was our turn, with seemingly effortless ease, Dan started brilliantly with Gary also in my way as a quick tack onto a long port tack put Gary level with me as we watched Dan slipping away down the run. Dan led to win by one of the biggest margins of the weekend, some whole minute ahead with Gary a couple of minutes behind me in third. I had secured a vital result that meant I could not be bettered overall on points.

The second (8th) race was delayed and the wind dropped, as it was lunch time many competitors sloped off to the beach at Castle Cove where the dinghy park is and as I waited patiently I knew that all I had to do was come second behind Dan but stay in front of Gary to be the outright winner. Gary who was suffering physically during the weekend vowed only to do the one race on Sunday but after a pit stop on the beach, joined by Dan he was persuaded to do the last one. The start sequence changed and all of a sudden and a bit unprepared, I saw our class flag up and I was left only half way down the line with Dan and Gary blasting away. Horror upon Horror Gary got it all together and showed me round! Dan had another easy win as a very demoralised me drifted in third to tie me and Dan on points overall.

They say it’s not the winning that counts but the taking part, I did enjoy the battle and with such close racing I can at least claim a little victory even though those nice committee members did rub salt in the wound by scoring the Dart first on the first race. The Nationals followed and my boat speed was still good however I will never be successful if I keep sailing to the wrong marks. I will get my eyes tested for next season or is it just old age!

Weymouth is a splendid venue ( I would say that wouldn’t I ) with an almost deserted sailing centre with tons of room and things to do nearby, as well as the sailing of course, so I’ll see you all there next year.

PS. A get well for Chris and Gary who have been going through the wars this year and tried to race when they should have both taken a good rest, I know they will both be back at full speed next year.

Phil Chester.

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