Barts Bash 2016

18 Sept 2016

Georgia was with me and she helmed most of the way, we raised £85 in sponsorship so thanks to everyone who chipped in. More photos now added as the local photographer was out and about among the fleet.


Five cruisers went to sea for the race. Getting out of the river was exciting enough alongside all the dinghies, some under sail and some being towed, as well as the usual river traffic, crossing the 'washing machine' (the bit at the river mouth where the current and tide meet in a swirling eddy) was tricky in the thick of all that! 














Our start was ten minutes after the dinghies so we tried to hold off away from the line and enjoyed the spectacle of 40-odd boats milling around, the sky was bright and the sea was nice and flat with the gentle northerly wind.



The wind kept shifting and dying and only Dancer got the start dead right, others found themselves well down-wind and down-tide as the wind fell away right in the middle of our start countdown, Elsa was particularly hopeless and about five minutes late over the line.

On the beat to the northerly windward mark places were won and lost depending on who got the wind shifts to their advantage.


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Turning back south to the second mark Dancer was well ahead (though Dick was seen halfway up his mast trying to find his spinnaker pole uphaul), Ayella and Blue Rhythm found themselves swept west by the tide and fell back while Elsa pursued Cabre. Those two were within banter distance at the third mark and had to round carefully, one behind the other, as a fast cat came between to lap them as they went around!



Dancer was first over the finish line by some margin, Elsa overtook Cabre as they neared the line to cross second and third. Ayella called to retire and Blue Rhythm stuck with it to come in fourth. On corrected time the medals went to Dancer, Cabre then Elsa. A terrific race and most enjoyable, great to see the sea so full of boats!









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