Thank you Patrick Blake for the report
Following on from the Merlin Rocket Class Vintage racing at Upper Thames Sailing Club, Sunday September 7th saw the racing for Thames Series and the prestigious ‘Allen Challenge Trophy’ which has engraved on its plinths the names of most of the greats of the British dinghy racing world.
This year will be added the brother and sister team of Andy Harris and Sarah Warren who were dominant all weekend. But they didn’t have it all their own way!
The first race saw an upstream start to the ‘home’ mark off the clubhouse. It was mainly a beat into the south-easterly wind which was quite strong at times but very gusty and shifty.
Pat and Jilly Blake in ‘Tiercel’ looked set to get there first but it was a starboard rounding and they couldn’t be sure of crossing the fleet approaching on a starboard lift. So, the safe option was to go wide which let Andy and Sarah through with Mike and Debs Steele in Pandemonium second and Kevin Rose with Tim Williams in ‘Rocketeer’ third. The ensuing laps were a bit like snakes and ladders with gusts interspersed with periods of almost flat calm. The Blakes worked their back to second by the finish with the Steeles in third.
The second race was quite exciting for the onlookers on the riverbank as there was a lot of place changing. The Blakes seemed to get their ‘mojo’ back and took the lead for quite a while, happy with their new river rig. At times when the wind was strong and with a bit more east in it spinnakers were flown but often the boats that elected to two-sail the broad reaches won out as the wind shifted. The Blakes looked to have a comfortable lead at the last time round ‘Home’ but Andy and Sarah caught a lovely gust from behind and hoisted. They would have whizzed past to windward but Pat Blake saw an opportunity and luffed until both boats were stuck in a light patch under the trees. The Steeles, who had previously fallen foul of a big hole and seemed to be out of the running in third, sailed calmly by on the other side of the river.
The drama wasn’t over though because the Blakes got out the hole in front of Andy and Sarah and slotted in just behind the Steeles. All three boats jostling for position at the last mark. Mike Steele was unlucky because as he reached the mark, in the lead, the wind did one of its funny river things and they touched the mark. Their 360 exoneration turn left the Blakes back in the lead heading for the finish but Andy Harris saw another chance, he luffed out a long way to windward and caught a gust that just gave them the edge to win again – but this time it was a photo finish.
After the usual Upper Thames lunch and hospitality, the competitors decided unanimously that as the weather was deteriorating, we had had enough fun, so the last race was abandoned.
Andy Harris and Sarah Warren took the trophy with Pat and Jilly Blake second and Mike and Debs Steele third. All thanks went to our sponsors Craftinsure and to Upper Thames for another great weekend.
