Elizabeth Mowbray Trophy at Overy Staithe Sailing Club
by Jennie Clark 29 Jul 22:28 PDT
29 July 2025
Elizabeth Mowbray Trophy at Overy Staithe © Bernard Clark
A luxuriously late start time of 09.30 on a good height tide allowed a fleet of mainly single handed classes, OK's, Lasers, Lightnings, one Topper, one Twinkle Twelve (being sailed single handed), an Enterprise and a Sharpie to enjoy a race that was set on a well thought out course by PRO Jerry Clark ably assisted by Bernard Clark.
Spike Turner and Ben Goakes, crewed by Liberty, led the reaching and running fleet past the first two marks before a beat from C mark to E. This course configuration gave the helms something to think about as it doesn't get used very often. Spike and Rodney Tidd decided that a loose port tack over to the Gun Hill side of the course may pay dividends due to less current. Ben decided to go the same way but possibly his tight sailing gave him more tide and current to deal with and caused him to drop back.
Rob Archer and Lucy Lamont in Lasers stayed fairly close to the OK's until the current abated in the Gun Hill area of the course. Spike and Rodney swapped tacks and were never too far apart until Rodney put in one last hitch out of the current and this paid handsomely and allowed him to quickly cross the harbour mouth on Starboard before tacking over onto port around fifty metres from E mark.
A series of runs and reaches back across the harbour and back up to the village in a wind that could never quite make up its mind on direction and strength allowed the OK's to pull further ahead.
On the second lap beat from C to E Rodney opted for the same strategy of heading over to the Gun hill side of the course. Spike decided to take the Marsh side as the current had abated somewhat. It was hard to say which side paid, if any, but Rodney rounded E first and he was able to hold this until the finish.
Thanks to the Race Officers and Safety Boat crew of Dave Cooper and Rod Thorpe.
Overall Results:
1st Rodney Tidd, OK
2nd Simon Turner, OK
3rd Jane Heath, Lightning
4th Lucy Lamont, Laser
5th Paul Goakes, Twinkle 12
6th Rob Archer, Laser
7th Ben and Liberty Goakes, Sharpie
8th Nina Plumbe, Lightning
9th Charles, Frank and Rose Dunstone, Enterprise
10th George Smith, Laser Radial
11th Adam Mills, Laser Radial
12th Sam Lamont, Topper
13th Harry Haines and James Lamont, Laser