Welsh Open Challenger Championship at Llyn Brenig Sailing Club

Welsh Open Challenger Championship at Llyn Brenig Sailing Club © Mike O'Connor

Seven Challenger sailors travelled to Llyn Brenig on Friday 11 September for the Welsh Open Challenger Championship due to take place that weekend.

Two sailors, quite independently, took a scenic detour through a Welsh forest and another a less scenic detour via the M6, both due to road closures and diversions. All eventually arrived at the sailing club but some rather later than expected.

More seriously, Duncan Greenhalgh (280) almost lost his boat when the trailer drawbar collapsed and the safety chain was (naturally) on the wrong side of the break. His final approach to the club was done very, very cautiously.

The weather forecast was not promising. Saturday was likely to be blown off with F7 gusts from the south west. The Saturday Club for younger, less experienced, sailors had already been cancelled. Sunday was forecast to be (almost) a flat calm. More in hope than expectation, the Challengers were taken off their road trailers and assembled.

Welsh Open Challenger Championship at Llyn Brenig Sailing Club - photo © Marion Edwards

The club is sheltered from south westerly winds but on Saturday morning vicious gusts could be seen fanning out across the water and those with keen eyesight could see waves breaking on the far shore. The race officer went off in a RIB to see if there was anywhere sufficiently sheltered from the gusts to lay a course. There wasn't and then it rained... and rained sideways...

Duncan decided to call it a day. His Challenger was put back on the (broken) trailer and collected on a breakdown truck to start its journey home. Another sailor was feeling rather under the weather and decided to head home.

Eventually it was decided to have an early lunch and see if the gusts dropped in the early afternoon. They didn't. The race officer and OOD were seen shaking their heads and announced there would be no racing that day.

Welsh Open Challenger Championship at Llyn Brenig Sailing Club - photo © Graham Hall

The fleet dispersed for the afternoon with a 18:30 rendezvous agreed at Y Giler Arms. Surprisingly everyone made it without any adventures on the way.

Sunday dawned windless. The diminished fleet assembled at the club. The race officer suggested the sailors be fully prepared for sailing and, to demonstrate his intent, he put two very large orange marks in the RIB and went off to lay them.

At the race briefing the race officer explained the course would be a triangle. Precisely which marks would be used and in what order they would be rounded would be determined on the water!

Like many other reservoirs, the water level was very low and the pontoon frequently used for running the racing was out of the water. The shore crew were assured that there was at least 1m depth at the end of the slipway which is more than enough to launch a Challenger.

The course was decided and the race officer went into sequence. Unfortunately, when the P flag came down Graham Halll 's (270) watch failed. Luckily when he was busy trying to countdown the final minute, he heard Steve Laycock's (3) watch beeping its way towards the start. When it gave its final long beep Graham followed Steve over the port end of the line. Alan Gillman (212) had a disastrous start finding himself pointing in the wrong direction and in irons.

Welsh Open Challenger Championship at Llyn Brenig Sailing Club - photo © Mike O'Connor

The first beat turned into a fetch. Mike O'Connor (196) closely followed Graham but was in his dirty wind so gradually fell back.

As Graham rounded the windward mark he found a little pressure and was able to accelerate to 2.3kts! Those following him were not so lucky. Initially it looked like this second leg would be another fetch but the wind shifted turning it into a beat.

Rounding the second mark Graham benefitted from another little puff of wind. At the end of the first lap Graham had built a substantial lead but was only travelling at 0.9kts. Mike was still in second, with Val Millward (312) chasing hard.

Again, if played carefully, it was a fetch to the windward mark. Graham rounded it and was able to point high enough to fetch mark 2. Mike, Val and Alan arrived at the windward mark close together. The fetch turned into a beat (again). Val managed to get passed Mike to move into second. She was then in clear air and able to extend but what wind there was, was dying.

Graham made it to the finish but the race officer took pity on Val, Mike and Alan, and finished them, in that order, at mark 2. Steve was whiskey finished just after mark 1. Once everyone had been finished the wind briefly picked up and it looked promising for a second race, then it died again.

After a brief discussion on the water it was decided not to attempt a second race and the fleet returned to shore. Alan returned to shore happy as he'd been sailing. Mike had mixed feelings. He hadn't expected third but having held second for much of the race there was a tinge of disappointment that Val got by.

With only one race sailed and with two required for a series, the trophies for the Welsh Open Challenger Championship could not be awarded.

At the non-prize-giving, Alex Watson (race officer) and Paul Oliver (OOD) apologised (quite unnecessarily) for the weather and lack of racing, and invited the Challengers to return again next year. In reply, Graham thanked Alex, Paul and Llyn Brenig SC for making the Challengers so welcome and doing their best under such difficult conditions.

Overall Results: