Pink Elephant Race
The Pink Elephant Race held on New Year's
day attracted 21 boats, everything from Hurricane 5.9 to an Optimist
taking part.
The first hurdle prospective competitors
faced was 'swimming' into the club through the main gate which was doing
a fine impersonation of the main reservoir and got better, i.e. larger,
during the day. Was the barrier up or was it down?
The Race Officer set a sort of trapezoid
course using as the windward mark, for a beat set on the NW side of the
reservoir from orange marks close to the Marriott Hotel, the 'Windsor'
corner tower. This was followed by a reach to orange inner course
mark near the end of the pier then to down to outer course orange/black
off the club house and back to outer course orange by the
Marriott. All boats had to pass through the start/finish gate on
each lap formed by the committee boat at the starboard end and the inner
course orange mark at the port end.
The wind was basically South Westerly but
with enough directional variation to benefit those competitors 'awake'
enough! The minimum wind speed on the committee boat observed was
8 knots with a maximum of 22 knots. However as the black clouds
rolled in from the West those who decided that the rising wind was good
fun, on the most part decided safety was perhaps advisable and quickly
ran for the shore. But one boat did not make it in time and the
Safety Coxswain & the Race Team then had to standby a 49er who
capsized just above the committee boats in winds that on getting ashore
were reported to be 50 knots plus as the needle hit the stop on the wet
bar anemometer. The squall was sufficient to blow one of the keel
boats in the dinghy park off its trailer. On the water in the RIB
was unpleasant in driving spray. Glad it was our experienced Club
Powerboat Training Principle, Alan Moss, driving.
All the competitors enjoyed blowing the
cobwebs of the seasonal excess away and the delights of the Rear
Commodore's, Cathy Pearce, cooking in the galley.
Prizes of hand made Pink Elephants by
Rosemary Harrop & Cathy Pearce were presented to the top 5 boats.
