A very good weekend. Andy, Dave F, Fred C and Tom turned up on Friday at lunchtime to set up the site. A green and white gazeebo in the corner by the sluice gates became home until the Sunday afternoon. By Friday evening a very tired group of owners had set up and already sailed about 40 interested parties. The weekend really got going on Saturday morning. Andy and Dave were up and running by 8.30 and a whole group of owners turned up as the day went along. We had 12 boats sailing almost continually from about 9am till we called it a day at about 7.30. At one point Sheffield Hallam University had challenged Birmingham to a team race and before it was over, Durham turned up to race the winners! We have no idea at all who won: I suspect that they don't either. Truth is the RC Laser won because they had a whale of a time. Having decided not to put boats on the water till 9am on the Sunday, by 8.15 there were 9 boats drifting around the course in the very light wind. This wind picked up as the sea breeze kicked in and the boats were kept busy untill 12noon, the official end of the 24hr race. As a rough estimate about 400 different people, mostly dinghy sailors 'had a go'. I can recall just one who didn't like it! The raffle prize, a complete boat very generously donated by Nigel at Peterkin, was drawn immediatly before the main prizegiving and won by a sailor from Wallasey. Next job is to get a fleet at New Brighton! Very many thanks to all the boat owners who lent their boats and turned up to help for no reward except the benefit of our class. There was praise from all sections of people at the race and as a PR excercise, I suspect that it will prove to be the most sucessful ever. Maybe the best news of all....... the only breakage was a couple of peices of sheeting. Yes folks, the boats are reliable and tough. The final take for the raffle, after the only expence claimed, the cost of the raffle tickets, was £349.00 split between Sail4Cancer and the ME Association. Should you like to add your own comments on the weekend please send them to the webmaster. Sail4cancer have put a short article on their site http://www.sail4cancer.org/newsdetail.php?newsid=498 It looks like we will be invited back in 2010 Got any ideas as to what we should do? Please let the webmaster know |
WLYC 24hr Race |