Desborough S.C
The fourth race in the National 12 Thames area series took
place at Desborough S.C. this weekend with a pleasant breeze filling the river
and the sun shinning.
Dave & Frances Wilkins stormed across the start line to take an early lead in
race 1. The fleet behind battled closely up the first beat with John & Mandy
Thornton coming out second round the windward mark. .Graham Camm & Zoe Ballantyne picked up a streak of stronger
wind in the middle of the river on the run to sneak inside the Thorntons and
followed the same gust to clinch an inside overlap on the Wilkins at the gybe
mark to take first. The pack behind fought fiercely with John & Katy
Meadowcroft popping up in "Eric" their Paperdart and Geoff Camm &
Amelia Hall yo-yoing around the top spot (this included a capsize to windward
at the gybe mark), they almost overhauled Camm and Ballantyne on the second
beat but eventually dropped back to take third. Allowing Camm & Ballantyne
to take the bullet and the
Thorntons to take second.
Dave & Frances Wilkins repeated their tremendous starting routine in the second
race to again dominate the first beat. But allowed Camm & Hall to sneak
past in the light and fluky winds at the windward mark. An incident between the
Meadowcrofts and Thorntons left the Thorntons spinning, allowing the
Meadowcrofts to round the windward mark second with Camm & Ballantyne hot
on their heels. Camm & Ballantyne headed for the middle of the river in search
of stronger wind, they found enough to sail through the lee of the Meadowcrofts
(who went on to take third) but not enough to catch Camm &Hall who had
already built an impressive lead which they held for the next 5 laps (despite
breaking their kicker).
The third race started in a similar vane to the previous two with the Wilkins
flying off the start line again and the usual suspects duelling up the first
beat with a few motor cruisers thrown in for good measure. Camm & Hall
again rounded the windward mark first making good use of the fluky conditions
in the final 50 metres approach. Camm & Ballantyne looked good for second
but the Wilkins took advantage of a bend in the wind to snatch second around
the mark. Again Camm & Ballantyne searched for stronger wind in the middle
of the river and captured a small overlap on the Wilkins at the gybe mark. The
pressure was on now firmly on Camm & Hall for the next two laps with Camm
& Ballantyne closely followed by the Thorntons storming up through the
fleet. A puff on the second run enabled Camm & Ballantyne to gain an
overlap at the gybe mark but Camm & Hall soon claimed this back by sailing
the better gybe on the next leg. Sailing was close for the next three laps but
it wasn't until the fifth lap that the places would change with Camm &
Ballantyne again getting a lucky puff on the run to sail through the lee and
into first which they managed to hold by the skin of their teeth to take the
race and the meeting.
Overall Results
1st N3469 Graham
Camm & Zoe Ballantyne (Numinous)
2nd N3464 Geoff
Camm & Amelia Hall (Final Chapter)
3rd N3468 John
& Mandy Thornton (Numinous)
First single bottom
"Eric"John & Katy Meadowcroft (Paperdart)