AM: Bradwell  Cup 6

After a windy night, there was still sufficient breeze around to entice a good-sized 
fleet of 14 boats out onto the water and with boats criss-crossing at some speed as the 
seconds counted down to the start, there was every hope of a good race in prospect.  
There was certainly a sizeable clutch of boats crowding the line as the horn sounded, 
with Bob Sampson and Jane Anderson being quickly away with a group including 
Mike Ford and John Buckett not far behind.  Just a couple of minutes into the race, 
however, the wind gradually fell away at the Dam end of the lake, with a dramatic 
effect on the whole shape of the race: in Biblical terms, it was very much a case of 
'for he that hath, to him shall be given', with the frontrunners being just far enough up 
the lake to keep going, whilst the remainder of the fleet fell into the Doldrums and 
slowed to a drift.  Jane Anderson and Bob Sampson moved further ahead on the long 
beat up to the very top of the lake at the Far mark, whilst Mike Ford was going great 
guns in his Solo, keeping pace not far behind.
 
As the race unfolded, it became clear that it was a day when the wind was determined 
to tease, trick and tantalise.  Odd gusts of breeze would come from apparently random 
directions, so localised in their effect that a couple of boats might suddenly shoot 
forward, whilst bemused helms a few yards away would remain becalmed and 
frustrated.  None of this seemed to upset Jane Anderson's lead, however, with a 
sailing upbringing spent in the fluky winds of river racing paying dividends as she 
completed the first lap in 30 minutes, over ninety seconds ahead of Bob in second.  
Jane Chadney caught the eye as the one boat to make the transition from the back of 
the fleet to catch up with the leaders, just a few seconds behind Bob. The Race Officer 
bowed to the inevitable and gave the signal to shorten the race, but with a long course 
it was never going to be easy for the second half of the fleet; a group of five boats got 
into a tangle at the Inlet buoy, where the steep pine-clad bank sheltered the water from 
what little breeze there was and took some time to get going.  At the back of the pack, 
the Toppers of Stuart Mealing and John Duncalf were left stuck like flies in amber as 
they rounded the Dam Green buoy and only started the second lap after nearly 60 
minutes, when the race would normally be coming to an end.  Meanwhile, Jane 
Anderson continued unperturbed and finished in a little over sixty-five minutes, a 
clear five minutes ahead of Jane Chadney.  On handicap, however, it was the slower 
boats that ran Jane closest, with John Buckett's Otter only about fifteen seconds 
behind on corrected time taking second place and Mike Ford bringing his Solo into 
third, thus pushing Jane Chadney and Bob Sampson into fourth and fifth respectively.  
David Harris recovered well from a tardy start to take sixth in his Otter, but the 
biggest cheer was reserved for the two Topper helms, who persevered in desperately 
difficult conditions, even though it was getting on for two hours before they got their 
lunch.
Results: 

1st Jane Anderson (Laser)
2nd John Buckett (Otter)
3rd Mike Ford (Solo)
4th Jane Chadney (Laser)
5th Bob Sampson (Laser)
6th David Harris (Otter)
7th Adeney Pooler and Simon Veal (Graduate)
8th Katie Leveridge (Laser Radial)
9th Vicki Duncalf (Laser 4.7)
10th John Chandler (Bosun)
11th John Duncalf (Topper)
12th Stuart Mealing (Topper)
13th John Weller (Laser)
Nicky Buckett (Laser) rtd

PM: Ladies Helm/Gosling Shield

With a start delayed to allow late finishers from the first race to bolt down their 
sandwiches, 14 boats (including a couple of newcomers) decided that 'things could 
only get better' and launched for the afternoon race on a slightly shorter course.  Once 
again, Jane Anderson set the standard, this time with Paul Whybrow's Solo pushing 
her hard.  Over lunch, the wind had swung round to a north-easterly direction, which 
only served to make the winds still more unpredictable, as a sea breeze tried to blow 
in from the west.  Although Jane and Paul made good progress, some of the fleet 
found their tolerance stretched to breaking point as the winds backed, veered and 
died, so that even on the first lap helms started to retire, with more calling it a day as 
the race progressed.  The section of the course from West across to the Inlet buoy in 
particular turned into something of a lottery, with some helms going straight across on 
a reach, whilst unlucky competitors such as Mike Ford were confronted with a fickle 
breeze dead on the nose and had to tack far down towards the Dam before inching 
painfully back towards the mark.  Even Jane Anderson started to struggle as the race 
neared its end, but she held on to be first across the line on the water and first on 
handicap.  For the Gosling Shield,  Paul Whybrow stuck to his task to take second, 
with Jane Chadney taking second in the Ladies Helm.

Results - Gosling Shield: 

1st Jane Anderson (Laser)
2nd Paul Whybrow (Solo)
3rd Jane Chadney (Laser)
4th John Buckett (Otter)
5th Bob Sampson (Laser)
6th Mike Ford (Solo)
7th Nicky Buckett (Laser)
8th Sue Murray (Topper Topaz)
9th Adeney Pooler and Simon Veal (Graduate)
Vicki Duncalf (Laser 4.7), John Weller (Laser), John Chandler (Bosun), David Harris 
(Otter), John Duncalf (Topper) rtd

Ladies Helm: 

1st Jane Anderson
2nd Jane Chadney
3rd Sue Murray