The Lady Helm race was blessed by a fine evening which came as forecast, after a wet day. Orijin came without a lady to helm, but Carrie Hoskins agreed to jump ship from Jetta, so that Orijin could take part. There was a useful breeze from the WNW, and Race Officer, Stuart Sawyer, set a course taking the fleet of ten boats out to the Eastern mark in Falmouth Bay. The fleet of five PY boats got away at 1815, with John Hughes joining the sailing in his Micro, but without a lady helm. On the windward first leg to Trebah both Big Purple and Gotcha forced Jetta to dip behind them as she came across on port tack. Jacobi rounded first, followed by Gotcha and Big Purple, and then spinnakers went up for the long run out to Eastern. All went well until Jacobi and Jetta approached Eastern together, with Jetta on starboard. Jacobi had to gybe away, and with little time left to drop the spinnaker, Jacobi passed the mark to wrong side, needing to return for a correct rounding. Jacobi, now at back of the fleet, managed to pass the other IRC yachts on the remaining legs except Gotcha. Gotcha helmed by Club Commodore, Jane Benney, finished first, winning the race from Big Purple by nearly two minutes, on handicap with Jetta third.

The PY race was won by Amanzimtoti, helmed by the skipper’s wife, Caroline McDonald, with Valkyrie second, and Jinjy third.  In the photograph above right we see the winner of the PY race, Caroline. But what is husband, Roger, doing? “Quenching his thirst,” is an obvious answer. But, depending on the contents of the bottle, “Settling skipper’s anxieties,” or “Celebrating victory,” could be the explanation.