Firefly open meeting at Rickmansworth Sailing Club
by Jamie McEwen 7 May 2013 15:47 BST
28 April 2013
Despite a couple of notable absences through illness, there was still a good fleet of about a dozen Fireflies for the Rickmansworth Open Meeting on Sunday 28 April. The wind blew and the sun shone, warming the chilly sailors who had camped after the Saturday night social and woken to find thick ice on their tents!
Race officer Paul Johnson laid a varied course, using six buoys and all of the lake. In the first race Steve Greaves sailing with NFA chairman Caroline Edwards led around the first mark, followed by Jamie McEwen crewed by Claire John and then Jonny Bickford with local girl Claudia Wilson. This continued for a few more buoys before Jonny and Claudia got swallowed up by the pursuing fleet, allowing Steve/Caroline and Jamie/Claire to break away. Those two boats exchanged the lead several times, but eventually Steve and Caroline sailed into a hole and then went the wrong way round a buoy, so Jamie and Claire won the race. Third place went to Sue Steyn sailing with twin sister Caroline Webb.
In the next race there was a pack of five boats fighting for the lead all the way round: Steve/Caroline, Jamie/Claire, Sue/Caroline, Chris Guy and Alannah Witherby, and Tony Thresher with crew Mike. Each boat held the lead at least once, but generally lost it again shortly afterwards! In the end it was Jamie and Claire who were leading when the music stopped. Steve and Caroline took second, followed by Chris/Alannah, Tony/Mike and Sue/Caroline. Ali Barker and his dad Graham were sixth.
In race three Jamie and Claire seemed to lose their mojo somewhat (perhaps due to a capsize before the start) and found themselves in last place. They managed to catch up to fourth by the finish, but could not threaten the leaders Steve and Caroline who sailed a good race to hold off Chris/Alannah, with Tony/Mike just behind.
Thanks to the discard Jamie and Claire were overall winners, with Steve and Caroline one point behind and Chris and Alannah in third.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail | Helm | Crew | R1 | R2 | R3 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 3615 | Jamie McEwen | Claire Johns | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 |
| 2 | 1867 | Steven Greaves | Caroline Edwards | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 3 | 3095 | Chris Guy | Alannah Witherby | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 4 | 407 | Tony Thresher | Mike | 5 | 4 | 3 | 7 |
| 5 | 3353 | Caroline Webb | Susan Steyn | 3 | 5 | 5 | 8 |
| 6 | 3414 | Ali Barker | Graham Barker | 6 | 6 | 11 | 12 |
| 7 | 3616 | Jonathan Bickford | Claudia Wilson | 7 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
| 8 | 3671 | Jenn Lamb | Will | 9 | 8 | 7 | 15 |
| 9 | 3691 | Louise Rollinson | | 8 | 11 | 11 | 29 |
| 10 | 3181 | Alastair Wilson | Pete Morris | 11 | 9 | 11 | 30 |