Inlands Queen Mary [UK Cherub]

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===== Inlands Queen Mary=====

Report by Lucy Lee

Rather sub-optimal weather greeted those members of the Cherub and Moth fleets who made the trip to Queen Mary Sailing Club in London this weekend (6th and 7th May).
 
After rather a lot of cogitating and navel gazing one brave Moth sailor piped up and declared he wanted to race, despite the sub-5 knots of breeze. The rest of us felt it would be rude to let him drift round all on his own, and the OOD was prevailed upon to set a course and start a sequence.

Amazingly, in the time it took to finish rigging and get the boats on the water the breeze had built to enough to twin wire upwind and down, but sadly this didn't last!


The Cherubs started in about 5 knot : Norwegian Blue led off the start with Mango close behind for the first lap and a half (Atum Bom was late due to an emergency spinnaker halyard fix). Then Mango found a few big holes allowing Norwegian to further away.

By the time Team Tuna made it to the line it was quite clear where the holes in the wind were as Norwegian was busy covering Mango down the first downwind leg. The wind shifted about all over the place, getting lighter and lighter all the time.

During the second lap Team Tuna managed to gain enough ground to be in touch with Mango by the leeward mark. Some cross tacking and shift following saw the two 2005 rules boats fighting it out up the last windward leg, with Atum first to hoist by a small margin. Norwegian had built a substantial lead by this stage but unfortunately suffered from being the pathfinder boat down a run as full of holes as a swiss cheese (not helped by some very deceptive flags!).

Atum had just enough pressure in the spinnaker to keep moving and they arrived at the leeward mark neck and neck with Norwegian Blue. A slow-motion duel to the line was settled just in Atum's favour.

Sunday was hot and still as a mill pond on the eastern side of the reservoir. With foolish optimism triumphing over common sense Atum Bom and Norweigan Blue set off to do battle again, while Mango Jam and the Moth fleet opted for ice creams and sunbathing. There was just about enough wind to fill a kite and set a fairly windward-leward course, but during the race it varied enough round to turn the two windward legs into two fetches (on different tacks), which suited Atum Bom slightly more than Norwegian.

Final Results:

1st Atum Bom: Will & Lucy Lee

2nd Norweigan Blue: Dave Ching & Lara Gonzales-Ruiz

3rd Mango Jam: Gavin Sims & Dave '420'

Many thanks to Queen Mary SC for hosting the event. 


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