Annual Dinner, Prizegiving and Frostbite
– Saturday January 24th and Sunday January 25th
Following the excesses of the Annual Dinner the night before, the competitors at the Classic and Vintage Racing Dinghy Association on Sunday 25th January were greeted at Whitefriars S.C. by bright blue skies, ice on the covers and an almost non-existent breeze. Race officer Ivor Keates managed to get the 7 boat fleet off almost on time as the wind filled in. Sadly it was not to last, and as boats became becalmed, the lead changed several times. Seen at the front at various times in the 1st race were the Pegasus, OK and Minisail. On handicap the Minisail won, Graduate 2nd and OK third.
After an excellent lunch, the 2nd race saw fewer place changes, with the Pegasus opening up a big lead from all but the OK. As the wind dropped to nothing again, the OK was the big looser, becoming becalmed 20 yards from the finish, and so dropping from 1st to 3rd on handicap, costing him the series. The Pegasus won on handicap, with the Minisail creeping up into 2nd.
Special mention must go to John, Thomas and Matthew Andrews for sailing a Lark 3 up and still coming 4th in the 1st race, the Barlows for bringing their beautiful Varnished Merlin, rather than wrapping her up for the winter, to Duncan Spencer-Smith for bringing his British Moth all the way from North Wales and to Alan Williams, whose Finn was the 8th entry, but his car blew up on the way up from Devon!
1st Rupert Whelan Minisail 8122 (Whitefriars)
2nd David and Keith Rollinson Pegasus 194 (Bowmoor)
3rd John Gardiner Graduate 370 (Baltic Wharf)
4th Alan Price OK1211 (Portsmouth)
5th Andrews Family Lark 381 (Whitefriars)
6th Chris & Lois Barlow Merlin 507 (Shearwater)
7th Duncan Spencer-Smith British Moth 738 (Clywedog)