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2007 Marconi Kestrel Open Sunshine, a NNW breeze force 2/3 and a strong tide greeted 14 Kestrel dinghies at the start of race one. With the first mark down tide and only a short distance from the start line a perfect start was required and Dusty Miller crewed by Liam Pike in No.668 achieved this rounding first followed by John and Olive Glasspool in No.1537, then a close reach and long broad reach against the tide meant that Spinnaker handling was at a premium. With several similar coloured marks to choose from the front runners were often sailing in different directions to find and identify the correct one. Legs 4 and 5 turned into a beat across the tide, Paul Jarvey crewed by Amber Wilson in No.1548 and Chris Grice crewed by Glen Enkel in No.408 both picked the right side of these legs and passed the Glasspools. John Weedon crewed by Rory Ash in No.1545, Graham Richmond crewed by Dave Clarke in No. 1549, and Mike Smith crewed by Duncan Wilson in No.1551 managed to claw their way up the fleet as the wind started to die and the tide turned but at the finish it was Dusty/Liam 1st, Paul/ Amber 2nd, Chris/Glen 3rd. Race 2 saw a similar course with light wind and a strong ebb tide. Rod and Jenny Brown-Lee in No.1573 showed us how to get to the first mark by staying close to the shore out of the tide and were only just pipped by Dusty/Liam. As a raft of boats were all trying to get round the first mark several penalty turns ensued and from this a bunch of 5 boats emerged to give chase. The fleet set off on a close spinnaker reach. Jarvey/Wilson, Weedon/Ash, Grice/Enkel, Smith/Wilson and the Glasspools rounded the leeward mark in close order and several place changes occurred during the cross-tide windward leg. As the boats turned downwind, the wind died away and it looked as though any one could be placed, but on the line it was Dusty/Liam 1st, Glasspools 2nd, Paul/Amber 3rd. Race 3 started with a Northerly F3 wind, Dusty/Liam showed again how to start taking the lead around the 1st mark with Paul/Amber close behind. These two managed to keep their positions to the finish. There was a tussle for 3rd place between Grice/Enkel, Weedon/Ash, the Brown-Lees and Glasspools, and at the line it was Chris/Glen who took 3rd. Race 4 started in similar fashion to race 3 with Dusty/Liam taking an early lead followed by the Glasspools and a group of 5 others. On the upwind leg playing the wind shifts helped if you stayed out to the right and at the windward mark Dusty/Liam held a lead over Paul/Amber with the Glasspools, Chris/Glen and John/Rory all pressing. On the run Dusty/Liam headed for and rounded the wrong mark, by the time they had rounded correctly 3 boats were heading for the finish line thus preventing them from making a clean sweep, the order at the line was Paul/Amber 1st. John/Olive 2nd. Chris/Glen 3rd. It was encouraging to welcome newcomers and young sailors to the Kestrel fleet and I am sure it won’t be long before these will be showing their metal. Liam collected the prizes and thanked Marconi sailing club and John Weedon for organising and running a successful meeting.
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