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Report from the Wanderer Open at Whitstable Yacht Club, Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th August

Posted: Friday, 25 August, 2017

This was a weekend of two contrasting days. The first day, scheduled for races, was blown out by a horrible SW near gale. The second, scheduled for a cruise, provided near perfect conditions for a combined race and cruise day. Saturday saw ten Wanderers (8 WYC boats, and 2 visitors) confronted by a fierce wind, steep, angry waves and a general consensus not to race. Paul and Liz entered the club race to be the only double hander to finish, despite the committee boat dragging its anchor and the leeward mark fast disappearing towards the wind farm. The Wanderers however are a happy band and 23 Wandering brothers and sisters later reconvened at the club for a greatly appreciated barbecue. Saturday evening was excellent with Richard, Gavin and Ian providing the entertainment. We had poems, funny nautical songs, especially Gavin’s Saga one, and Ian told a shaggy cod story.
Conditions on Sunday could not have been better from everyone’s perspective...

...The day went brilliantly. It was great having ten Wanderers out and everyone being so helpful and encouraging to each other. Two boats decided to follow the course but not to race. Nick and Keith expecting Storm Gert conditions came with a reduced mainsail. Sailing upwind in lighter airs was a challenge, but they covered Tankerton as well as Whitstable Bay and, despite missing the reception party at the Shipwright’s, returned safely despite the diversion - not long after the RNLI had checked their wellbeing. Richard’s pedagogic predisposition took over as he gave visiting crewmen, Joanathan Jefferies, who has recently become a Wanderer owner and John Renouf, chairman of the Wanderer Class Owners Association, a Wanderer Swale sailing taster session in “Giggle”. Apart from the welcome sight of the Shipwright’s, the run back with the rest of the fleet, spinnakers flying, completed the champagne sailing experience for our guests.
The race itself produced one of the most thrilling finishes of Wanderer long distance sailing. After six and a half miles - Shelagh made it ten miles with all the tacking - the front three boats were sailing brilliantly and it was any man’s or woman’s race to win.  Gavin and Mark sailing “Thistle” (1282) had made a great port tack start at the pin end, kept as far to windward on the first leg, rounded ahead the Pollard Spit, and mid Swale led the fleet past Sand End buoy.  Nick and Mike in “Too late the Hero” (1604) had “Thistle” and “Surprise” (1626) sailed by Paul and Liz in their sights. But in the very shifting and gusty conditions of the narrowing Swale, “Thistle” and “Surprise” (1626) closed on the finish while “Too late the Hero”, having tacked to take a shorter course, lost out to a header. “Surprise” (Paul and Liz) now began to overhaul “Thistle” (Gavin and Mark). Paul got to windward of Gavin and was able to tack first for the line. It was a photo finish (thanks to Laurna Carney) with Paul and Liz a superb first, and everyone a winner.
This was a race of many notable firsts. Shelagh and Ed (4th) won the battle of tactical skill and endurance in the middle order. David (5th) showed that two women, Lucinda and Jo, and one man in a boat can do a lot better than I did with three men in a boat. Kate and Ian get better and better. Kate helmed “The Honourable 33rd” to finish with first class honours - 27 positions above their boat’s name. Meanwhile Ian and Glenda were the first boat carrying an outboard engine, not that they used it but carried the extra weight in case any boat were to need the assistance of their seamanship. Fef and Angelyna were the first double generation winning boat, with granddaughter Angelyna, 11, doing much of the helming and winning first Wanderer helmed by a cadet. For all of this, a big Thank You to everyone who made the success and fun of the weekend possible: John Boorman, our Race Officer and with Laura Carney, our photographer, also our RIB cruise escort, to Andrea for registration, to Wizz and Jo for the superb Bar-B-Q and everyone involved at WYC. 
Well done everyone. You all did amazingly well.
Richard Maltby
(WYC Wanderer cruise organiser)
3rd ed. 25 Aug 2017

Results:

• 1: 1626, Paul Yeadon & Liz North
• 2: 1282, Gavin Barr & Mark Skipper
• 3: 1604, Nick Hawkins & Mike Judson
• 4: 1566, Shelagh O Riordan & Ed Lamb
• 5: 1351, David Golding & Lucinda Golding Jo Phillips
• 6: 593, Kate Ahern & Ian Hay
• 7: 1098, Ian Nevill & Glenda Nevil
• 8: 890, Fef Griffin & Angelyna Gheur
• Photo by Laura Jean Carney. More photos can be seen on the WhitstableYC Facebook Page.
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