A warm welcome was extended to the CVRDA travellers who continued east after the nationals for the inaugural Aldeburgh Classic Rally.
The Loch Long keelboats and Aldeburgh Lapwings are resident fleets at the club and were out in good numbers. Starts were separated into Loch Longs, Fast Keelboats (Dragons, Flying Fifteens etc.), Fast Dinghies, Slow Dinghies and Slow Keelboats (which had no entries).
The weather on Saturday caused some not to launch whilst others started and returned having broken boats or heads or just found it too much and ploughed the mud. In the fast dinghies, Ian Marshall in the Shelley Moth took the honours with a local classic International 14 giving him a good race and the crowd some heart stopping moments as they wobbled close to capsize but recovered well. A well sailed Lazy E managed to sail for most of the race before retiring.
The wind failed to drop as forecast on Sunday so the fast dinghy fleet consisted of the Int Moth and the Int 14 and in a good race the 14 came home first but the Moth won on handicap.
Flying Fifteen 228 came down from Scotland to visit her old club and won the concourse. One Designs came from Brightlingsea and Wivenhoe and the club laid on excellent food and entertainment.
Next year the event will be on June 10th-11th and we hope for better weather.