Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash: A Cherubic Experience
by Emma Pearson 21 Nov 2018 00:46 PST
17-18 November 2018
Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash 2018 © Malcolm Lewin /
www.malcolmlewinphotography.zenfolio.com/sail
Two quite different age and style boats collected themselves together at a near UK midpoint of Draycote Water last weekend for the annual Fernhurst Books Draycote Dash which kicked off the Selden Sailjuice Winter Series.
Saturday's schedule held four back-to-back handicap races with Fast, Medium and Slow fleets all covering the same trapezoidal course. The wind was coming from the East - no good for man nor beast - and definitely lived up to the old saying as it was shifty and gusty as well as going up and down the Beaufort scale (prevailing wind is nearly almost from the West at DWSC).
Almost disappointingly, there was only one small boat-on-boat knock where King Tubby decided she was going to tack onto port on the start line, to try and dislodge the overall leader from his perch. In actual fact, the only thing to be dislodged was a bit of old filler!
Overnight the Cherub fleet de-camped to Chateau de la Pearson for a Pie and Ale night but didn't make it to the pub afterwards due to tired heads, tired bods and the calling of warm beds.
Sunday promised and then delivered a very exciting pursuit race in slightly stronger airs than the day before. Rigging Green Bananas up next to the clubhouse definitely spiked a few other sailors' interest in the boats and the use of T-Foils.
Us Cherubs started at 42 minutes past Datum on a 120 minute race according to the Great Lakes Handicap. This only confirmed to us all that '05 rules boats are handicap criminal bandits but '97 rules have the most fun without the use of a T blade... And a "conventional" course is not too difficult – who would have thought!
Next Stop Datchet.