Yare & Bure One Design open meeting at Norfolk Punt Club
by Rachel Clayton 16 Jun 2022 00:27 NZST
11-12 June 2022
Yare & Bure One Design open meeting at Norfolk Punt Club © Robin Myerscough
The sun shone and the wind blew for Norfolk Punt Club's Yare & Bure One Design open
meeting at Barton Broad on 11 June. Seven YBODs took to the water in a gusty SW F4.
The two
visitors from Norfolk Broads Yacht Club dominated at the start, with Chris Bunn in Fox taking an
early lead. Places changed throughout the race due to penalties, shifty conditions and tactics.
Fellow NBYC's James Dugdale in Ghost overhauled Fox but a penalty took him back to fourth, with
NPC's Peter Robbins in Small White pulling through to second and Simon Daniels in Silver Blue third.
In the second race Fox and Ghost were first and second respectively from start to finish. The local
boats fought over the remaining positions with Small White working its way to third.
Emma
Daniels, visiting family in Norfolk for a party, had unexpectedly been offered the helm of
Camberwell Beauty whose helm was indisposed with a crock back, but whose wife/crew Lenka
jumped at the chance of an exciting sail and hastily rigged Camberwell Beauty.
This scratch
crew was hot on the heels of Emma's father-in-law Simon Daniels in Silver Blue throughout the
race, but ultimately age came before beauty. Some of the strong downwind leg gusts caused
massive bow waves, with Camberwell Beauty nosediving precariously.
Sunday's wind was a lighter and shifty F2-3 so every helm disposed of some of Saturday's
ballast. Another committee boat start was tightly contested with all boats within a hair's breadth
of the line.
Small White led the way until the second round when the host club's Will Adler, well
known but infrequently seen at NPC, took over the lead in his grandfather's YBOD, Marsh
Ringlet.
A dead spot lost him two places and some exciting nip and tuck brought Fox and
Ghost to the fore. Fox nudged ahead after taking the inside at the penultimate mark, with
Marsh Ringlet making a well-judged early tack to pip Ghost into second.
Going into the final race Fox counted 3 firsts with Small White and Ghost tying for second. It was all
to play for. Small White took an early lead with Fox and Silver White holding off Ghost.
Ghost
hunted (haunted?) down the leaders to take the lead, but a decision to 'do different' (as the
Norfolk saying goes) and tack immediately round the downwind mark lost him his lead, enabling
Fox to win a full house of bullets. Ghost's lead over Small White gave them second and third
respectively.
This trio also took 1, 2 and 3 overall, with the consistent Silver Blue being rewarded with fourth.
Some of the happiest were NPC's Liz Chettleborough and Kath Mason sailing Zephyrus, never
in the mix but always having a blast.
All sailors regularly returned to NPC's iconic pontoon-
mounted clubhouse with wide smiles despite aching arms; tea and cake were a-plenty
throughout and competitors were full of praise for the race team creating upwind legs in a tricky
wind direction and for fellow competitors providing tight racing.
Gorgeous breeze and sunshine
completed the picture for a memorable and closely-fought event.
The ideal conditions brought out several home boats for the afternoon's club racing, including
three of the keen YBODs, Silver Blue this time taking the gun in the class race. Alistair Drew
and his two keen youngsters sailed their Norfolk Punt Goosander to victory in the Allcomers.
Overall Results for Consortium Cup:
1 Fox - Chris Bunn & Niki Tansley (& Leah Tansley) (NBYC)
2 Ghost - James Dugdale & Kath Fiddy (& Elise Carrington) (NBYC)
3 Small White - Peter Robbins & Chris Pugh (& Sian Robbins) (NPC)
Whelpton Trophy for highest placed NPC member:
Small White - Peter Robbins & Chris Pugh (& Sian Robbins)