Dell Quay Sailing Club

(Published in the Chichester Observer on Thursday 26th June 2014)

On the longest day of the year, there was no lack of light as competitors in Dell Quay SC’s evening series raced round two laps of a good-length course. Fortunately, the south-westerly wind didn’t fade completely either – though at times it was frustratingly light, leaving dinghies marooned in the increasing amounts of weed which June’s sunshine is encouraging.

Peter King and Colin Pullenger (RS400) avoided the worst of the calms and the biggest mats of weed to pull out a clear lead from soon after the start, but the rival RS400 (Bob Marshall and Neil Bryant) had the slippery Solo of Richard Ede to contend with for much of the first lap before it established a comfortable second place on the water.

While King and Pullenger still had a little time in hand once the handicap calculations were done, taking their second win in the series, Marshall and Bryant had more Solo trouble, despite Ede’s retirement. Ken Baker, crossing the finish line in third place, took second slot on handicap, just 18 seconds adrift of the winning corrected time and almost six minutes ahead of Marshall and Bryant. Anne and Jim Norfolk (2000) also headed the second RS400 on handicap, their third place consolidating their overall lead in the series.

Most remarkable happening of the evening, though, was the dead-heat finish of two more Solos, sailed by Carol Andrews and Mike Shaw, after almost 80 minutes of racing.

With three races still to go in the series, there are several others among the 27 competitors who have so far taken part with a chance to move into the prize list.

Liz Sagues