Scaling Dam Open Meeting

 Sat 17th March 07

Seven boats were greeted by strong winds as they arrived at Scaling Dam.  The Club weather system was trying its best to convince everybody the wind was only F3/4.   The waves lapping on the dam wall and the white horses on the water told a different story.
 
Undeterred all the boats took to the water for the start of the first race.  Angus and Rohan Betts were the first casualties.  In their first outing in their recently purchased crusader they were unable to lower the centreboard and were recovered from the other side of the reservoir by the rescue boat.
 
Race officer Ian Holden set a short course at the club house end of the reservoir.  The six remaining boats set off on the first beat.  Phil and Helen David and Mark and Emma Simpson set the early pace.  Approaching the windward mark gear failure resulted in Mark and Emma swimming and also forced them to sail the rest of the course without a toe strap on port tack.  David and David were first to the windward mark followed by Howard Chadwick and Philip Benn, then Bernard Clarke and Meg Fletcher.  Clarke and Fletcher tipped it in as they rounded, putting the Simpsons up to third.
 
The wind strengthened during the race and soon it was survival conditions.  The Davids claimed first place having sailed a steady error free race.  They were the only boat to complete the course without swimming.  Chadwick and Benn also sailed well and held second place for the first half of the race, putting in some well executed gybes in tough conditions.  Their race was ended early when their mast broke shortly after a gybe.  The Simpsons sailed fast and despite further capsizes caught the two boats in front.  They briefly held the lead before being blown over reaching on port tack.  They were the only other boat to complete the course.  Clarke and Fletcher struggle to keep the nose out of the water down wind and retired.  Howard Elcock crew by Pip Fletcher and Roger Brisley crewed by Tom Clayton, both retired.
 
Once the boats were ashore the wind strength continued to increase and races 2 and 3 were abandoned.  Many thanks to Scaling Dam Sailing club for a brief but challenging event on their water.
 
Results
 
1st Phil and Helen David, N3217, Baggy Trousers

2nd Mark and Emma Simpson, N3472, Big Issue