Stone Week & Unicorn Nationals at Stone Sailing Club
by Denise Robinson 21 Aug 2003 11:12 BST
Sunday 27th July to Friday 1st August
Once again, a good turn out for our Annual Regatta with an entry of 35 boats separated into Fast and Slow Menagerie with 11 Unicorns competing for their Nationals Trophy.
Stone Week sailed an 8 race series (2 a day) with a separate Mid-Week Trophy and the Unicorn Nationals sailed a 7 race series.
The courses were a combination of fixed Club line starts, Committee boat starts, P Course’s and the old faithful Olympic courses, which kept everyone on their toes! And the winds did everything from a for 0 to 4/7 at some time or other during the week – even the “Yellow Peril” joined in rescuing a windsurfer in the bay!
Race 1 & 2 both started from the Club line to ease people into the week, but by Race 3 & 4, the decision was made to go for Committee Boat starts and ‘P’ Courses!
Wednesday Mid-Week Trophy race consisted of two mass starts from the club line, with the morning race round the baffle and the afternoon race round Osea Island.
Thursday – Race 5 & 6. No wind this morning so racing was postponed. After a 4hour delay, the race management decided to set an Olympic course, as long as the wind held!! Race 5 started with very shifty wind conditions but they all finally got round apart from the few who did not seem to know if they were doing a triangle or a sausage or even a P course – Race 6 started very late in the afternoon but at least by then the sea breeze had kicked in. Shorter course due to the time as the wind had started to abate, yet again!
Race 7 & 8 - Last day! Light winds today but definitely sailable and the sun also tried to come out to play! To enable results to be sorted and dinner to be served before the prize giving, we had a quick word in the Race Officer’s ear to try and keep them short and quick. The decision – to make Race 7 a ‘P’ course from a committee boat!! Oh dear that was a mistake by now those that were having trouble with the Olympic course seemed to be doing triangles and sausages round a P course!! Well it certainly made good entertainment for the race team. Once they were all ashore at lunchtime, Race 8 started from the club line (phew!) and the final race for Stone Week and any position changes were competed for!
Thank you to all the visitors who came and I hope we see you next year, and please invite and bring more with you!
For full results, please visit our web site at www.stonesc.co.uk