The weather is so fickle as we head into winter that despite watching daily forecasts for the coming Sunday when we get there it’s a pot of luck!
This week we had terrific squally showers then bright sunshine before the next shower appeared over Feock.
In one of the blue bits Oyster was moved out towards St. Just but it became quickly very clear that race Officer Len Trenowith was not getting the boat moving as it should.
There was clearly a technical issue and a very measured decision was taken to crawl back to the mooring; delay the start of racing and ask sailors to remain on shore temporarily.
The third safety boat was rapidly pulled into use and with one now as a substitute committee boat the other two set about laying marks for a course running closer to the club and as time was flying by for just a single race afternoon.
It is very gratifying to hear the process of taking these decisions as the expertise of the race team is clear and their focus on sailor safety paramount.
Once racing began in the usual sequence the squalls were running through and the wind was not the consistent steady force for good sailing everyone likes and enjoys.
Sad to record these conditions reduced starters from last week’s glorious thirty-six to twenty-two.
But, fierce competition at the mark closest to the club saw boats in fleet groups fighting their way around for a very brisk downwind run.
In the distance on the St. Just side the spinnakers were also glorious in the blue interludes between the showers.
The flukey wind from the northwest at a range of ten to twenty knots meant crews were on their mettle at all times.
That wind was cold, the rain was cold and the sea itself was possibly the warmest element to be in although capsizing meant recovery in the aforementioned chill.
The asymmetric fleet was won on the day by Rose Hallam and Ralph Singleton in their RS200; following were Kyle and Maddie and Freya and Grace.
Fast handicap by Robin Laney in his Contender; medium by Sam Philpott in his Europe; slow by Florence Luxton and Lottie Tregaskes in their Mirror.
The Catamaran fleet won by Andy Aston and Becky Mayes; the Lasers by George Lenney and Poppy Luxton; the Turbo fleet by the glorious red flash on the water of Liam Stacpole and Wayne Barnicoat in their International14.
Two more Frostbite races for the series and then the final 11th December Christmas Pudding Race – all sailors most welcome.
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