Just 4 F16's at the ECPR, Nick myself and Scooby doing the short course and Chris Sproat and crew doing the Long Course sadly a day of real frustrations and euphoria. The race was delayed for about an hour due to sea mist obscurring the course and lack of wind to begin with. As it turned out the course was shortened for all boats at the second gate Colne Point.

Any way we all set off drifting and sort of sailing in what ever puffs of wind ( right on the nose )we could find scrapping and dicing with Catapults, Thames Barges, Dart 15's/ 18's, Shadows, Hobies and a couple of F18's, 2 hours later at Bradwell Power Station all 29 of the slow course boats were all still in contention virtually going through the gate in a few minutes regardless of there size or form, one minute you were miles ahead, the next everyone was back together.

Onto the leg right down the coast to Colne point, all still in a line, still with the wind on the nose and still F1 - F2 winds. The Catapults and the smaller Darts were still lapping at our heels. Slowly but surely on the leg the wind improved to about a steady F2 and the F16s F18s and the Shadows slowly pulled out a small lead of about 10 minutes at the Colne Point gate. I think about 4 perhaps 4 1/2 hours to this point. We ahd also caught some of the boats who had started 20 minutes ahead.

Now the really fun bit, turn the gate and guess what we have a 15 mile run along the coast and back up the estuary with a tail wind. Up with the Spinnaker and probaly 10 miles of that I was up on one hull and at times out on the wire. At this point we had caught the slower boats who had started previously and it was staggering how you can reel these boats in when you can get one hull up out of the water. About 1 hour 30 minutes back passing boats all the way, what a real blast and made all that pain of getting there so worth while.

Results, well we were never going to win it in our race with the Darts and Catapults still being with us 3 Hours in but Chris on the Viper came a very creditable 3rd overall in the Long Course where there were mainly fast handicap boats.

I guess my result doesn't really matter as we all had a great time, hosts and venue really top draw and in company who likes a beer a two, just what a great weekend is all about.