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The DogfishDavid Villers-Child reminisces about Pwhelli 1970... |
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It was to be my last Merlin championship. I was emigrating to Denmark and giving up ruining my knees hanging out of dinghies and going to race grown ups boats with lead under the keels. The meeting was being held on the North Wales coast, and most of us were staying at the local holiday camp, there being nowhere else! The behaviour of most of the competitors therefore descended to that of the lowest denominator of your average holiday camp habitue. It was also one of those weeks. We were parked next to another serious contender for the title, and the checks we made every morning on our boat were essential. Clevis pins removed, knots untied every piece of sabotage you could think of. His crew was known as �The Clown Prince� and as good a title it would be hard to think of, although immature springs to mind also! We had a hard week on the water, with one of those days on the penultimate day that it would be very hard to forget. It blew great guns, and of the 250 odd boats only ten finished at all. However the next day there was all to play for, but mind games and foul tricks were never far away. My rather tatty car was moved about the car pound. I found it and started it and set off for the harbour, soon it became clear that there was something not quite right under the bonnet, but I pressed on. Then the car lurched to the right and mounted the opposite verge. Shaken I got out and looked, someone has loosened a suspension mounting, and it had finally come loose! No matter we could just about drive on, and we did. However by this time there was clearly something else wrong under the bonnet! Pausing only to call the local garage to collect and fix the car we went afloat. Having finished the race I went to collect the car, to be told it was ok now, and the problem under the bonnet had been a dogfish placed over the engine, they had removed it and the bill was �(a lot), mainly for cleaning the engine space. It was my last championship, and having won the final race, of the week and mine in the class I still love, I just went home before the prize giving, knowing who was to blame for what while it had been a moderately successful but far from enjoyable week. I�ve never like Wales. All that was a long time ago, and we have all passed a lot of water since then! But if I were Barry Dunning I would still not sleep easy, I have not forgotten, and one day! I�d be afraid very afraid! |