Mini 40 Club Series Saturday 14th March 2020
Nine boats turned up for the multihull racing with a great forecast of 10 to 15 mph SW breeze, and the forecast – NO RAIN! Although someone forgot to tell the people in charge as it was raining at the start of the morning! It was good to see Mike Dann back with his tri, also Paul Edwards on the water again after a while doing race officer duties.
In the lighter early breeze, Paul, sailing his super metallic blue Dann cat, won the first race, with Tony Cleal in second and Pete Lawley in third. In the second, Tony Cleal came from mid-fleet to take the points. As the rain passed through the wind was strengthening, and skippers were beginning to struggle with their big sails they had rigged for the light stuff. Mike Dann’s tri with a slightly snugger rig, started to really get into its stride and took the next five races. Having chalked up a few seconds, Simon Walley took line honours in race eight, but Mike then came back to take the remaining races.
Mike took first place overall, although he didn’t have things all his way and Paul, Tony, Simon Walley and David Donin were usually snapping at his three transoms and waiting for the increasingly likely capsize as the wind strengthened! Simon’s second overall was remarkable in that he used his tall No 1 rig all through. Tony Cleal was third on countback, with equal points to Simon, and in fourth was Paul only two points behind. Jay Britton and Rob Walley found they had too large a rig for the increasing breeze and after some exciting sailing had more than their share of capsizes.
It was a pleasure to watch Mike sailing again; his mastery of the headers around the clubhouse building earning lengths when it mattered. It had been an exciting day’s racing, and the overall standard of the fleet, sailing these challenging boats, was first class.
The next date for racing our Mini40’s is the open event April 3rd, 4th and 5th. The developing national crisis may overtake events, but we’ll keep everyone up to date as the situation unfolds.
Mervyn
