Five teams from Welland Yacht Club took to the water in rain and very light wind for the inaugural Hatel Bowl six-hour race.
Because of the light wind and significant amounts of weed, which the Environment Agency only started cutting on Friday afternoon, a short course was set between buoys 3 and 1.
Each team member had to sail at least two sessions during the six-hour race.
Boats were finished on the first occasion that they crossed the start/finish line after six hours of racing had elapsed, and final team results calculated using each boat’s average lap time and applying the appropriate lap count and handicap corrections.
Ali Brightey, Gail Follington and Richard Stedman were Team Comet, Paul and Emma McGuire and Adam and Will Stabler were Team Red Lark, Andy Prior, Charlotte Jackson, Harry Jackson and Neal Tack were Team Blue Lark, James Ramp, Arden Follington and Toby Schrauwers were Team Laser Radial, and Helen Boyd, Jorrit Schrauwers and Nick Bonsor made up Team Solo.
The two Larks and the Solo made a good start with the Comet and the Laser Radial following a little way behind.
The rain had eased off and by the time the boats completed the first lap it was Blue Lark in the lead, despite them hitting buoy 1 and having to serve a 360 degree penalty turn, followed by the Solo, Laser Radial, Red Lark, and Comet.
As the day progressed the sun came out and the wind picked up a little, but was still very variable in strength and direction, and it was one of these wind shifts that caught Toby Schrauwers by surprise causing him to dry capsize.
At the end of the six hours Red Lark had completed ten laps, Blue Lark 12 laps, Laser Radial ten laps, Comet nine laps, and Solo 11 laps.
After lap corrections and boat class handicaps had been applied Blue Lark were the winners followed by Solo, Comet, Laser Radial and Red Lark.
The day was deemed a great success, as much for the socialising between sailing stints, and the Hatel Bowl six-hour race is likely to become a regular fixture in the club’s calendar.
