Medway Regatta - Kestrel Open 2009 - Wilsonian Sailing Club

Report & Results
11th/12th July

Kestrel sailors had an exciting weekend’s sailing in the tidal waters of the Medway Estuary over the weekend of July 12 and 13th. The racing was part of the Medway Dinghy Regatta held at Wilsonian Sailing Club Hoo and sponsored by MTS Drainage Services and Hyde Sails. The Kestrel fleet ensured their own series and prizes by having 6 entries before the start of the regatta. The regatta was a special occasion because it was the 50th Anniversary of the Wilsonian Sailing Club.

The first race on Saturday started in patchy air with boats close together at the start soon separated by wide margins. Steven and Lin Worf (Calshot) kept in clear wind for the spinnaker leg down river and maintained the lead for the rest of the race followed by Ian Rintoul and Richard Anthony (Broxbourne) and Bob Dutton and Peter Good (Wilsonian). In the afternoon the wind had built and there were some exciting spinnaker reaches between the channel buoys which act as race marks down the river. Len Ayris and Alan Wynn (Wilsonian) got the best start and then Jeremy and Jane Drummond took over the lead and benefited from good gusts as they passed the KingsNorth Power station. At the turn Steve and Lyn started to demonstrated their upwind speed and were in hot pursuit of Ian and Richard. It was at this point that Jeremy and Jane went AWOL (never trust a local!) and Steve and Lyn powered on to claim their second bullet. The order of finishers remained the same as the first race.

Saturday racing was followed by a BBQ and mountains of desserts courtesy of Wilsonian’s enterprising House committee. A disco finished the evening and most Kestrel crews had wandered to bed by the time lights dimmed at the Club house.

The following morning the wind was up and most competitors were sporting their free regatta T-shirts provided by the sponsor. The wind remained from the SouthWest. With the favourable tide boats were over the line and ducked back to ensure a result. Jeremy and Jane Drummond were first to power away from the line and made quick progress down river. As the fleet turned up wind Steven and Lin Worf pressed on the accelerator and the chase was on. The crept closer each leg and on the finish line the race officer could separate the two boats. So it finished a dead heat between the two Mark II Kestrels 1510 and 1511 with Ian Rintoul finishing in third in the Mark III 1553.

For the final race on the Sunday afternoon the wind had got up to a steady Force 4. Again the Drummonds got off to a good start and then paid the price for getting out of control in the gusts on the dead run down Gillingham Reach. Ian took the lead with the Worfs not far behind. Again for the upwind leg Steven and Lin demonstrated their superior boat speed and scored their third bullet of the series. Ian and Richard held on to second despite a late charge by Jeremy and Jane.

With bottles of wine for the individual race winners, a silver trophy and cut glass prizes the Worfs (Calshot) left with their hands full as clear winners of the Kestrel series. Ian Rintoul and Richard Anthony (Broxbourne) finished second with Jeremy and Jane Drummond (Wilsonian) third in the series.

In all there were 85 boats at the regatta with fleets of Lazer 2000’s, V3000’s, Vortexs, Miracles and Wayfarers as well as Kestrels competing amongst open handicap fleets. There were visiting sailors from 21 clubs with the furthest competitor coming from Ullswater, Cumbria.

Hopefully the Wilsonian Sailing Club proved its hospitality and looks forward to seeing the Kestrel fleet back next year.

Jeremy Drummond.

Visitors headed the Kestrel fleet; Steven/Lin Worf with a trio of victories and Ian Rintoul/Richard Anthony’s three seconds to count. Jeremy/Jane Drummond restored home pride with a 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

Full Medway Regatta report is available on the results page of the Wilsonian S.C. website.