Summer Evening Series: Thursday 3rd July SW3‐4 Average Lap Trapezoid x 2

A Tale of Two Races

A shifty south westerly blew south or west with the odd nail biting gust testing the ingenuity and reflexes of Helford’s dinghy sailors on Thursday. A gentler wind in the first race favoured those with the largest sails and the lightest boats and crews. Temporarily disproving that theory, Beccy Kestin tied for third in her pocket handkerchief sized Laser 4.7 rig with Andy & Karen Biggs in the voluminous National 12. A rapturous Phil Samuel revelling in the early days of his relationship with the Solo, teased her to a second place behind arch rival Roger McDonald, who’d galloped his faithful Laser to the front of the field from start to finish.
Result 1st R. McDonald, 2nd, P. Samuel, tied 3rd A&K Biggs & B Kestin.

A stronger fickle wind in the second race pushed Phil Philpot’s bucking bronco – Blaze ‐ past McD at the head of the fleet. Lacking a consistent near sailor’s gale, Phil could not turn an accounting profit under handicap racing rules. With his filly – the N12 – proving uncommunicative, the Biggs’ were consigned to a rear view of the race to watch Andrew Hosking’s gradual improvement to handicap equalling performance in full rig laser. Beks Hosking’s Pico roared down the flat in big gusts between Durgan and Toll. McD’s usually eager Laser temporarily held back to a canter by a head wind between Toll and Committee, gave Beks ‐ after inspection of the photo finish ‐ a superb tie for second.

Extracting every ounce of advantage from the wind’s vagaries, Beccy Kestin, it was who’d whispered and gently coaxed her frisky little 4.7 to the gate to take a seasons first.

Result 1st B. Kestin, tied 2nd B. Hosking & R. McDonald

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those in the support of the fleet on the day ‐
Dave Church & Dan Flunder: Safety & Photography
Stephen Brooks: Q20