After a break due to the unsuitability of water levels for sailing, Welland Yacht Club decided to start again and adapt to the conditions.
Despite the desperately low water levels that show no signs of improving over the coming months until the well documented Environmental Agency delay in starting the work on the breach in the bank.
The cancellation of the club’s Open Day due on Sunday enabled the club to sail the Robert Creek Trophy, which had been postponed in April.
Sunshine and a moderate northerly breeze greeted the good turnout of 11 boats for the first race, desperate for some racing action.
With the wind in that direction it meant a short beat from the clubhouse to the No.1 buoy, that was always going to be tricky with the water level making the river even more narrow.
With a port end start favoured, but no right of way, it was a matter of nerve and timing and it was Mark Scourfield in the Solo, closely followed by Andy Prior in the Laser full rig and Andy Agar in the OK who managed to reach the mark first.
Prior had an incident with Alan Chapman, sailing his new Laser, which resulted in Chapman having to do penalty turns, enabling the fleet to set off on the run with the wind behind them.
The fleet bunched up as those behind benefited from the wind first and Helen Boyd in the Solo, Alan Cox in the Laser Radial and Alistair Mitchell in the full rig Laser all benefited. Despite doing the penalty turns, Chapman made up ground to join the front runners.
Prior pulled out a lead to round No.2 buoy first with Scourfield just getting ahead of Agar before rounding for the tight reach back and tack back to the club on the shortened course of two laps.
Low water levels found out a couple of boats, which grounded during the race, and there was enough wind and water for a number of capsizes.
After just under an hour racing, it was Prior who crossed the line first, followed by Scourfield and Agar. After the handicaps were worked out, Prior was ahead of Scourfield by 23 seconds and Cox in third by 32 seconds with Richard Stedman showing good speed 20 seconds back.
Because of the difficulty in returning to the club to tie up between races, the boats stayed afloat for the next race.
With a few gusts coming over the clubhouse, it made for some interesting sailing, which caught out Izzy Herring who capsized on the start line but remembered her righting skills to carry on to finish a creditable ninth place .
The start was again well judged by Prior, Agar and Scourfield, who rounded without incident this time. Prior, Chapman and Agar were just far enough in front to pull away.
With the wind filling in, it saw some close manoeuvring and conversations within the pack.
Chapman was again finding some speed in the newer boat and he rounded second behind Prior, followed by Agar and Scourfield. There was again a few capsizes with Chapman and Mark Holland tasting the Welland water on the run down.
Prior was on his own but there were tacking battles in the chasing pack with places changing but again, after just under an hour’s racing, Prior was first over the line, followed by Agar and Scourfield. After handicaps were applied, that was the final order. With all four boats finishing within the minute, racing was close.
After lunch, seven boats started the third race and the wind had increased in the gusts. That found out Boyd and Ian Thompson in the Solos, who were caught out near the clubhouse and sampled the water.
It was another familiar story of Prior timing the start and sailing off into the distance, leaving the rest to fight out the other places.
Cox was going well in the Laser Radial, followed by Agar and Scourfield ,that was until he also capsized on the run just before the gybe.
Prior crossed first, followed by Agar, Scourfield, Cox, Stedman and Boyd. Placings after handicap were Prior, Scourfield and Agar, Stedman, Cox and Boyd.
Overall, Prior picked up three points, Scourfield seven and Agar 10.
