2022 Results: Inter-Club
Mariska rules the waves.
Well, this certainly was not your father's Inter-Club weekend regatta! The date was chosen to enable RWYC cruisers to race on a weekend when a large Flying Fifteen Open event meant they wouldn't have club racing for cruisers. In case you're interested this links to the RWYC F15 Northern Championship & World Qualifier Results - congratulations to Steve Goacher and Tim Harper.
To support the RWYC we planned to i) stay well out of their way and ii) David Watkins helped out on the committee boat recording the finish as we often do for Winter Series races. Here's a photo from where the WCA committee boat anchored -
As you can see - we were a long way North. But not far enough to keep High Five from "mingling" (I think that was the word Bill used!).
Anyway enough about RWYC! The wind was much more Easterly than forecast, and also much stronger. The average speed was 23kts and the gusts were up to 32kts. Understandably conditions were too much for some and two boats made the decision not to race (thanks to Va Va Voom and Jailbreak for letting me know). Some of the usual cruiser fleet were racing Flying Fifteens (I think you can just see them in the picture above pressing Steve Goacher's "The Whippet & The Whopper"). It's hard to set a course for an Easterly wind so far North, and in addition I was concerned that the gusts might trip the anchor and we'd be close to a lee shore, so I set up just South of mark # 10 which meant the start was upwind with about 200m to the speed marker in White Cross Bay. The first attempt at a start was abandoned because we'd dragged a good 200m into the lake. Everything was ok for the second attempt and the first (and only) race was off. Here are the results: -
So, congratulations to Mariska on a fine victory - they led from the start and held on 'til the end. Although High Five were closing in at the finish - here's Mariska in the lead with High Five having just rounded Mark#7 and they're heading for the finish line (between the camera and the can).
In the end just three seconds separated them on the water after 90 minutes of racing, but Mariska ruled the waves on corrected time! David was injured and retired, and the conditions showing no sign of abating, everyone headed home.
Just two boats were planning to race on Sunday (Jailbreak and Aman La) and so racing was cancelled. It was an eventful weekend - to quote John Jarndyce "I am always conscious of an uncomfortable sensation now and then when the wind is blowing in the east."
