3000 Travellers Trophy Event 3 at the Medway Dinghy Regatta

Joe Pester and Murph (Paul Murphy) all the way from Ullswater continued their 2010 run of success at Medway Regatta, winning two of the four races at this, the third event of the 3k travellers' series.

A fitful wind greeted competitors for the first race which started upwind into a foul tide, with the result the if you weren't on the line at the start you were apt to take a few minutes to cross it. The spread of the fleet was exacerbated by those who got away first being first to reach the fresher breeze downriver. David Fenech and Alison Williams were on the start line and consequently went into a lead that they were never to lose.

The wind had shifted through 180 degrees for the second race, as had the tide, so that the issue was more not to be taken over the line. Joe and Murph took the race in preparation to help justify appropriate excesses at the evening social.

Sunday dawned with almost optimal conditions - bright without being too hot and more importantly a nice top end of a F.3 with gusts of somewhat more, providing plenty of planing on the offwind legs. Joe and Murph took the morning race but were beaten by the odd millisecond in the afternoon by father and son team Martin and Max, who thereby secured second overall. David and Alison were left to pick up third overall, while Chris and Kathy Williams from South Cerney were fourth in the only Laser 3000 racing.

Chris and Kathy were sporting their full set of North Mylar sails, but it was interesting to note that the first three boats were all using North Dacron jibs. While theoretically a tad less powerful than the slightly larger Mylar jib, the sheer convenience of using the Dacron sail, especially given its ability to be furled, mean that this cloth is becoming increasingly popular in the fleet.

While some 3k's will be attending Abersoch Dinghy Week, the next official 3000 open will be at Weir Wood SC on 4 & 5th September.