August 24-27th 2007
The spectacular Clywedog Sailing Club again welcomed the Classic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association for their annual national championships over the August bank holiday weekend.
For many this has become a week or fortnight’s holiday camping and walking in the beautiful countryside surrounding Llyn Clywedog. Over thirty boats arrived from as far afield as Aberdeen and Cornwall for the weekend’s racing and more important social events. Ranging form John and Lynn Gardiners beautifully restored Merlin number 36 with original 26ft wooden mast to more modern GP14s and Albacores the mixed fleet enjoyed great weather if slightly fluky conditions.
The racing is all handicap racing using with the numbers adjusted to favour the older more original boats, so an old Merlin with wooden mast and cotton sails is treated more kindly when compared to a qualifying boat with carbon rig and new sails or a boat that still competes on equal terms with a modern fleet.
Saturday had one “fun” race which didn’t count towards the series followed by a sail past the club for the spectators and ITVwest who were filming followed by a concours d`elegance where each competitor votes for their favourite boat on the water, on land and the one they would like to take home. The race was won by Geoff Pell and Margaret Boyce in their Albacore and the concourse went to the Merlin 36 “terrapin” and Albacore of Chris and Lois Barlow.
Sunday and Monday had the more serious racing which in shifty light conditions saw the OK of David Rollinson (Bowmoor) take all but one of the six races allowing him to lift the trophy for the 3rd year in a row. Fleet prizes are split into three categories Vintage (Traditionally built clinker boats). Classic (boats designed and built before 1965 not clinker built) and old( boats designed before 1965 and at least 25 years old).
Overall Results:
Vintage fleet
1st. Merlin 36, John & Lynn Gardiner (Shearwater)
2nd. National 12 1684, Howard Elcock (Tynemouth)
3rd. Merlin 252, Garry Rucklidge (Forfar)
Classic Fleet
1st GP14 2629, Ray & Jackie Bailey (Budworth)
2nd Firefly 2942, Ed Bremner (Baltic Wharf)
3rd. Albacore 1576, Chris & Lois Barlow (Shearwater)
Old Fleet
1st OK 1944, David Rollinson (Bowmoor)
2nd Hornet 2070, R Devereux & C Mulholland (Shearwater)
3rd Pegasus 251, Helen Rollinson & Sam Tozer (Bowmoor)