2024 Channel Island Dinghy Masters at Guernsey Yacht Club

2024 Channel Island Dinghy Masters © Joey Edwards & Andy Bridgeman

Saturday saw the fleet leave St Peter Port Harbour under sunny skies and enjoy the gentle Southeasterly out to a race area that was sited between picturesque Herm and Guernsey's East Coast. Unfortunately, numbers had been limited by ferry issues and a certain Jersey vs. Guernsey rugby game, but the fleet was keen to get away.

The first race started with reasonable pressure. The start saw Martin and Keith break clear in their 4000, followed by Nick and Reg in the RS200, Stuart and Carol in their RS500, and Andrew in his Phantom. The race soon split into a number of mini battles, with the smaller rig Aeros and Russell's Solo battling it out downwind. Unfortunately, the wind died on the downwind leg and Dave Aslett, sailing his newly restored 65-year-old Wayfarer (albeit with 65-minute-old sails...), kept his momentum to take second on handicap.

Having died, the wind then returned from the North East, switched back to the South East, and then settled back from the North East in the space of thirty minutes. There were some sore backs on the mark-laying boats, but the Race Committee under Simon Henning did brilliantly to get the fleet away for a second race in building pressure. A powered-up Phantom enjoyed the conditions, but it was Dave Aslett who continued his good form to take the win on handicap. Suggestions that he had a Perkins diesel hidden in the rear tank were denied, although it did feel like it had one in there when we were pushing the boat up GYC's Victorian slipway!

Race three saw a shifty if modest breeze, Dave again won on handicap, but Emma in her Aero 5 continued her march up the leader board and took the second. The asymmetric boats suffered an unusual challenge; their required courses taking them between rocks that even the old hands had never been through before. Third was Simon in his teenage son's ILCA - hope that he asked before he took it...

Having completed three Races, the fleet returned to the Club for a well-earned (free) beer and curry night, sponsored by Liberation Ales.

The fleet woke on Sunday to grey skies and a wind-against-tide Force Three from the South. In Race Four, Stuart and Carol in their 500, and the Phantom risked the building seas in the main channel and were rewarded with a "free ride" up to the first Mark, although Emma again came through on handicap to split them with a second. Competition between the Steve in his Aero 6, Simon in his ILCA, and Russell in the Solo remained keen, apparently with some banter thrown in.

2024 Channel Island Dinghy Masters - photo © Joey Edwards & Andy Bridgeman

Race Five saw Nicky and Reg sail an excellent first beat in a rainstorm to come home in third, with Emma again second, and Stuart and Carol once again taking the win in their RS500. Martin and Keith were flying in their 4000 before gremlins struck at the leeward mark.

Race Six, the fun one. The mark layers had thoughtfully placed the wing mark in the roughest part of the channel.... The rough seas and some shifts saw a remarkably diverse group of boats arrive at the windward mark as the wind built to F4 and above. There then followed a screaming "wild ride" out into the main channel. The 4000 was able to escape into clear air, followed by the RS500 and the Phantom, who were neck-and-neck for the whole leg. Close behind were Emma, Simon and the 200. With perfect timing, a gust hit just as the group reached the gybe mark....

The 200 and 500 both rolled in, the latter quite spectacularly, while Andrew - fearful for his gelcoat - decided that the better option was simply to keep surfing the wave-of-the day until the gust subsided. Emma, Richard, and Simon sneaked through the resulting carnage and set off in pursuit of the 4000, while Andrew continued his surfing lessons on a reach that was probably a bit tighter than he would have liked at that stage of the day. Once righted, Stuart and Carol were somewhat aghast to find that the tide had carried them upwind of the wing mark and that they now needed to gybe again... Ultimately, Emma took a very assured win with Simon second and the Martin's 4000 third. The author vaguely remembers seeing a Condor Ferry go past as some point in the race - maybe that was "the wave"?

Races completed, the fleet headed in and met surprisingly promptly in the bar for the Liberation Ales prize-giving. Emma took a well-deserved win thanks to her consistency, Dave guided his Wayfarer into second, while Andrew picked up third place. Given the variety of wind and sea conditions, it was consistency that decided the results but none of that mattered as a happy fleet tucked into the second round of beers and thanked the Race Committee and volunteers for a job well done in difficult conditions.

Overall Results: