Streaker Open at Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club

The Streaker open meeting at Waveney & Oulton Broad Yacht Club in Suffolk on Saturday 12th June was sailed in bright sunshine and a very shifty breeze!

Five very competitive visitors joined 7 local boats for 3 races that were really quite exciting especially as the breeze built during the day and there was plenty of place-changing.

Waveney & Oulton Broad Streaker Open - photo © Karen Langston

Race 1 was sailed in a predominantly NW breeze. Nigel Pepperdine from Staunton Harold led at the first mark and quickly established a huge lead while Jasper Barnham (Snettisham Beach) and Graham Sexton (Fishers Green) led the chasing pack. On the final lap Barnham and Sexton closed on Pepperdine but they couldn't catch him. Meanwhile Veronica Falat of the host club just held off Alan Gillard (Sheffield Viking) to take 4th place.

There was a slight delay before race 2 as the breeze swung in various directions! Race Officer James Nourse had to reposition the committee boat and start-line and the race got going in a northerly wind. Gillard was over the line at the start but returned and both he and Pepperdine were buried in the pack. Local sailor Pete Matthews led for the first lap but this was a race when no-one really got away and the fleet was incredibly tightly bunched. At the finish Sexton was first with Falat second and Matthews third, just ahead of Barnham.

Graham Sexton & Alan Gillard separated by a Waveney One Design during the Waveney & Oulton Broad Streaker Open - photo © Karen Langston

After lunch the third and final race had the added interest of taking place at the same time as club racing. The wind was now a gusty (and still shifty!) north-easterly. Gillard was soon ahead but Sexton was chasing hard and these two pulled well clear of the rest. Gillard's lead looked to be secure but he then met up with the local half-decker fleet, the Waveney One Designs, and Sexton was able to overtake and so win the meeting with 2 first places. Pepperdine had a close battle with Falat and Barnham to take 3rd place in the race and so finish 2nd overall, while Falat and Barnham finished on equal points but Falat took 3rd on countback.

Overall Results: