Club Racing 29th July 2007 Summer holidays led to a reduced turnout at Gorleston this Sunday. On reaching the race area competitors found that conditions were a good deal more boisterous than they had appeared on the beach. With the windward mark set fairly close to the beach & breakwater visitors to the Cliff Top gala were treated to some entertaining moments as some big gusts hit the boats returning downwind under spinnaker. The first race over a triangular course was initially led by the Fireball of Houghton/Symonds followed by the RS400 of Fryer/Smalls. However the late starting B14 of Roe/Dulieu soon overhauled them to lead the race on the water although they could only manage third on handicap with the Houghton/Symonds winning from Fryer/Smalls. Race two was run over a windward/leeward course and was led from start to finish by the RS800 of Sallis/Tibbenham with the chasing B14 of Roe/Dulieu close behind until they pitch poled and capsized at the end of the first downwind leg. However Houghton/Symonds made the most of the conditions to win again on handicap with Fryer/Smalls second and the borrowed RS400 of Highfield/Butcher third. As conditions had not improved after lunch the fleet decided not to sail in the afternoon. Race 1 (10) Fireball 14753 (Houghton/Symonds); RS400 721 (Fryer/Smalls); B14 776 (Roe/Dulieu). |