Ranelagh Summer Open Meeting
With England's World Cup game scheduled for an afternoon kick-off, just 5
Twelves came to the line for the Ranelagh Summer Meeting on 25th
June. It was, as usual, one race to decide the winner of the wonderful
silver National trophy, with almost more former talent on the shore
(Messrs Jackson, Daser and Vialls) than on the water.
Ranelagh, with not much wind and the tide running
fast, is the only place where it definitely pays to be facing the wrong
way at the gun. All boats just managed to stay the right side and then
headed off together up river and down tide to the first mark way past
the Fulham football ground. Three loops on that reach of the river were
set, with a return back to the club expected at high tide. Fran Gifford
and Sophie Mackley were first round, followed by Dave Wilkins and Adele
Cameron, and Chris and Alison Edwards. As Fran and Sophie gradually
pulled away, Mike Day and Anne Murch came through to third and then
second when Dave and Adele hit the uptide mark not once but twice in
quick succession.
On the way back to the club line, Fran and Sophie
held on through the dead patches and large shifts to win, while Dave and
Adele made a strong comeback to get through to second by the line.
Final results were:
1. N3431 Fran
Gifford and Sophie Mackley
2. N3481 Dave
Wilkins and Adele Cameron
3. N3496 Mike Day
and Anne Murch
4. N3362 Chris and
Alison Edwards
5. N3154 Felix
Newall-Smith and Tom
As a final postscript, we came into the shore as
Mike Jackson was just concluding the sale of Final Chapter to a
newcomer to Twelves, thus ending nearly 50 years of Twelve ownership - a
poignant moment.
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