Wayfarer Western Area Championships at Starcross Yacht Club

A healthy turnout of twenty two boats lined up to take part in this years’ Westerns. Previous experience of trying to sleep alongside the main railway line saw most of the fleet camp at Cofton, just two miles from the club and improve the takings at the Cockwood Ship Inn by some margin on the Friday night.

This was a world championship qualifier which meant the standard was high but we were also delighted to see half a dozen newcomers to the open circuit. Where better to start that experience than Starcross, a most friendly club and beautiful place with some of the best food to be found in any Sailing Club and with local Red Rock Beer at £1.50 a pint, the welcome was hard to beat.

The plan was for two races each day. Principal Race Officer Andy Woolner set a course to take advantage of wind from the north west, not the best wind for the estuary. Nevertheless the first race got under way without delay and in winds which varied between zero and Force 3. Positions changed in fairly dramatic fashion with boats going to the front of the fleet and then being hunted down by the pack on the downwind legs.

Some leeward mark rounding became a wing and a prayer as to whether boats ended up rafted together or ghosted around the outside or snuck through a gap on the inside. Gordon Harris with Beth Condie in W968 ‘Spinaway’ and Bill and Lisa Whitney in W9788 ‘Dipper Two’ were swallowed up in one such raft letting Colin May and Sarah Wallis in W 9068 and Richard Readings and Pauline Snyder in W8088 ‘Shooting Stars’ through to the minor placings. Up front was a fairly familiar story with Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend in W8868 ‘Cordon Rouge’ somehow finding the wind which evaded many others followed fairly closely by Toby Mace and Rachel Rhodes in W8848 ‘Meg B’ and then a less familiar sight of Robin and June Barker, a welcome return as local sailors at Starcross, bringing W4286 ‘Chough’ across the line in third place.

The second race was in better wind and saw Mike Mac being pushed quite hard for at least the first couple of laps before breaking clean away again. This time he was followed by the familiar podium placings of Toby Mace and then Martin Collen and Terry Palmer in W88 ‘Pieces of Eight’.

Bill and Lisa Whitney seemed determined to visit the front of the fleet in each race for the first lap and then familiarise themselves with the rest of the fleet as they made their way around. I guess they were missing the Shoreham waves.

Scott Hamilton and Sue Risbridger in W9416 surprised themselves and many others by being in the first few boats around the windward mark in both races. Their results showed a level of improvement which reflected the value of patience and persistence.

The Club Steward had suggested I might not sell all 73 pints in the keg of Red Rock. How wrong he was. I sold out before the evening meal had finished. Jean Brooks prepared an excellent meal and with over 70 people present, much fun was had in the table football competition. The McGrath boys cleaned up the £26 prize money and to Dad’s amazement if not amusement, they promptly donated all this to the RNLI. How many 15/16 year olds lads would do that!?

Sunday brought everyone back together in what looked like a repeat of Saturday. The forecast was bizarre, everything from nothing to Force 7…we got nothing. Andy Woolner postponed then abandoned, this turned out to be the right decision and a brave one at the time.. This was a disappointing end to a great weekend.

Special prizes were awarded by sponsors SPINLOCK of their new PXR cleat. They also donated a T shirt which was awarded as a special prize for ‘The New Age Traveller’ . Colin May has completed over 1500 miles in his camper in the weeks preceding this event travelling between Wayfarer events in England, Scotland and Holland. His crew and those (too) close to him thought a clean T shirt would be a good idea if not essential!

We were very pleased to welcome our newcomers, especially 12 year old Sophie Bishton from Parkstone who crewed for her Dad in the second race.

Rumour is the fleet will return to Starcross again in 2008. I will do my best to order some more wind next time around.

Overall Results: