Spice Open at Datchet Water Sailing Club

An unexpected force 3 and sun welcomed Spices to Datchet on 17/18 April.

In Race 1 the deceptive conditions, with surprisingly strong gusts and shifts, gave all crews early swimming practice. After a series of capsizes and temporarily leaving his harness, Paterson pulled back through the fleet to take the gun.

In Race 2 Hames forced Paterson to tack off the start line, but when they met again at the windward mark, Paterson just led around with Hames and Corris poised to strike. Unfortunately Hames then crashed out when his rudder pin slipped. The increasing frequency and severity of gusts tested reactions and endurance to the full with spills added to the offwind thrills. Paterson stayed dry to take the line before joining the other crews nursing gear and bodies ashore.

Sunday race 3 saw rain and increasingly light and patchy conditions. Hames again bested Paterson off the start, but the patchy winds made for close racing with frequent place changes around the course. Hames led Paterson around the final leeward mark but was beaten by inches in the final dash for the line. Race 4 in a more consistent breeze saw similar close racing, with Paterson passing Hames on the last offwind leg to take the gun and the event.

Overall Results: