Thanks to Tim for posting results, he has gone to alot of extra work as the host club doesn't use sailres, which is why results where not available during the event.

While saying thankyou's, should also say thankyou to Phillip WS and his parents (who were away) for providing accomodation for many of us about 10 I think, but sleeping in so many different buildings and BYO camper that I can't be sure .

Saturday's course was triangle, windward-return, triangle, windward-return, windward finish, a big course in big wind. As with most winds at Rye (it's in a bay) the wind was offshore from the south-west, making it gusty and shifty, which added to difficulty. My win can only be described as a Steven Bradbury as you will see from the following .

I missed timing for the start and with lack of practice with the sloop gear and crew (try just from the beach to the start line, mind you I wasn't the only one) was struggling to control the boat and next to last off the line. First boat was passed shortly after the start with a broken mast. Then as Finn and I struggled around the course, battling with Tim and Gordon, we started to pass capsized Mossies and some heading for shore, once we had passed Tim and Gordon there was only the Floyd's ahead (Sarah skippering). Then with only a lap to go I think, Floyd's broke their forestay and we where in the lead, Tim caught up a bit and broke a spreader on the finish line but we survived unscathed.

Sunday was windy but not up to Saturdays standard and South Easterly direction meant chop was a lot smaller . The courses where windward and return with a clearance mark at the top and a gate at the bottom, only 2 laps, to make sure back to back races could be fitted in morning and afternoon. Race times where around 25 to 30 minutes, it was intense and fast racing, with many mark roundings four wide and places easily changing, losing and gaining 6 places on a leg was not uncommon . Due to wind variations from 5 to 20 knots and shifts of 20 degrees it was really difficult to pick the right way around the course with gybing angles on the runs even more difficult to pick than the beats (where generaly the shore payed). Mention should be made of Neil and Daniel who managed to be more consistent (at the finish at least) than the rest, but pretty much everybody had a shot at the front at some stage.

In the last race we didn't realy know where the results where at and where just treating it like any other race (trying to win). Neil came from behind on the last run to get inside at the last mark rounding and with only a short beat to the finish, my only option was to tack for the finish line and hope I could lay the pin, Neil didn't tack straight away to cover me, the wind was up and down and it was touch and go all the way, I didn't know I could make it till about 2 boat lengths out and my bow crossed the line about 4 foot ahead of Neil in the middle of the line, didn't know till presentation Finn and I had won the Title, just awesome . Checked the Perpetual Trophy and I won it with my son crewing back in 2002, only 3 boats competed sloop that year, so numbers have struggled for ages, hope this regatta turns the corner for the future of sloops, it was awesome fun racing .