Ranelagh Open Meeting

After the Dinner, Prize Giving and Dance for the '99 Season held at Ranelagh Sailing Club the night before, Ranelagh hosted the Royal Thames Yacht Club 12 Open on Sunday 23rd Jan, the first of the eleven event Thames Area 2000 series.

Whoever thinks there's never any wind at Ranelagh should've been there, a perfect northerly F3-4 gave the fleet a beat with the tide up the river followed by a long run against the tide. The course being five laps of this sausage.

John & Mandy Thornton lead up the beat followed closely by Bim Daser & Sarah Edwards and Ian Gore & Lesley Iles. These three boats stayed close for a lap until John & Mandy and Ian & Lesley pulled out and contested the lead for the next three laps, with Ian & Lesley finally gaining the upper hand to lead to the finish. Bim & Sarah suffering on the long runs made an inspired move to the other bank on one of the runs in an attempt to catch the leaders and instead dropped a place to fourth. Early swimmers Caroline Martin & Alex Harris recovered well to third, gaining places later in the race as the wind lightened.

A close tussle developed on the final run to the line between Daniel Cowen & Jonathan Garfit and Richard & Chris Edwards with the latter managing to regain fifth at the finish.

Overall Results:
1st N3441 "Matilda" (Feeling Foolish), Ian Gore & Lesley Iles (Grafham Water SC),
2nd N3393 "GFFbFFG" (Final Chapter), John & Mandy Thornton (Ranelagh SC),
3rd N3375 "Red Hot Pudding" (Final Chapter), Caroline Martin & Alex Harris (Burghfield SC),
4th N3410 "Feeling Foolish" (Feeling Foolish), Bim Daser & Sarah Edwards (Ranelagh SC),
5th N3362 "Queen of Puddings" (Final Chapter), Richard & Chris Edwards (Ranelagh SC),
6th N3368 "French Connection" (Final Chapter), Daniel Cowen & Jonathan Garfit (Ely SC).