Waveney & Oulton Broad SC Open meeting

Waveney and Oulton Broad Yacht Club welcomed eight national 12s to its open meeting, and despite the numbers being on the low side the racing was to a very high standard with the overall winner not being decided until the last few metres in the race for the line.

Start line action

The first race went to plan for Richard Smith and Andrea Prime who had borrowed Julian Hood’s 12, they led round the windward mark and never looked back, while Antony Gifford and Helen Hunt were second followed by Bernard Clark and Lucia Lachlan-Cope third.

After a break for lunch the second race got under way, Gifford and Hunt made a good start, while Andy Jarvis and Helen Taylor managed to moor up with Smith and Prime on the line. Despite the good start by Gifford and Hunt, Brian and Jenny Riley were first round the windward mark and from there built up a good lead to take the victory from Gifford and Hunt second and Clark and Lachlan-Cope third.

Going into the final race of the day four boats had the chance of taking the overall win, Smith and Prime took an early lead and were hotly pursued by Gifford and Hunt, while the Rileys kept a watching brief in third waiting to capitalise on any mistakes made by the leading pair, but they did not and finished in that order to give Smith and Prime the trophy. The prizes were presented by the Commodore who thanked the visitors for coming and invited the National 12 fleet back next year.

Close racing at the front of the fleet in the final seconds of the last race

OVERALL RESULTS

1st 3446 Richard Smith & Andrea Prime
2nd 3484 Antony Gifford & Helen Hunt
3rd 3169 Brian &J enny Riley
4th 3447 Bernard Clark & Lucia Lachlan-Cope
5th 3462 Andy Jarvis & Helen Taylor
6th 3271 Phillip Highfield & Tamzin
7th 3365 Jerry Garner & Margaret
8th 3220 Edward and Tom Lachlan-Cope

Photos: Jennie Clark