Classics and Cotton at Shearwater Sailing Club

Classics and Cotton at Shearwater © David Henshall

The picturesque setting of Shearwater Lake welcomed the equally eye catching classic dinghy fleet, along with the usual crowd of beautiful looking Merlin Rockets. Shearwater’s usually shifty winds didn’t disappoint the visitors from clubs across the country, as the weather treated the boats to a range of drifty conditions, sporadically interrupted by a light easterly.

At the start of the first race, it was the Enterprise of Colin Singer that lead away from the usual classic event suspect, David Rollinson in the OK whilst Phil and Alison Philpott in the National 12 crossed the line third. Ben Marshall in 2529 won the Merlin race, followed by John Gardiner in 36 and Geoff Pell in 507. Also making an appearance, though not in the results, was the new Commodore of the CVRDA, Roger Devereux, in his neatly restored, 40 year old Hornet.

The second race started contentiously, as the Merlins chose to fight it out on the line, whilst the GP14’s of Colin Newton and Hugh Devereux had a close contest, swapping places throughout the race. Jon Rawson in his classic Albacore, managed to escape the melee to cross the line second, as Colin Singer was again showing how to do the light stuff in the Enterprise.

Race 3 saw a number of rapid place changes, as puff followed lull followed lull. David Rollinson made it first to the windward mark, behind him the fleet had split into two groups, those at the top of the lake becalmed and those at the bottom of the lake… becalmed. After some attempts to continue sailing, the mass retirement started of those who had sat stationary looking at the same bit of lake for too long.

In the ever competitive Merlin fleet, Mervyn Allen, Ben Marshall and Geoff Pell had managed to wriggle their way to the top of the lake, where, on the very last breaths of wind, just scraped across the finish line to score some useful points.

On the Sunday morning competitors were greeted to overcast skies, while the lake had an ominous glassy appearance, matching a few glassy eyes from the previous evening’s sociability. However by the time of the start seventeen boats, five racing with cotton sails, eased their way out to the line. Luckily, later on the wind filled in, to give a pleasant sail in a moderate breeze. David Rollinson and Phil Philpott managed to draw away from the fleet, to take the line honours with time to spare. The day provided a rare by wonderful sight, that of the three oldest sailing Merlins, using original cotton sails, all out racing hard together.

David Rollinson duly took both races in his OK, behind the mixed fleet of Merlins, Albacore and National 12s contested the minor places.