Streaker Ramblings - Beccles ASC - 15th June 2014

Left home in Hove at 6.00am for the three hour drive up to Beccles and the river Waveney on the Norfolk/Suffolk border, arriving to find the Compound gate still locked. Fortunately Mark Langston arrived just seconds behind with the combination for the gate lock. The meeting was held, as last year, with a small fleet of Enterprises.

Just six Streakers came to the line for the start of the first race with a course getting off northwards from the clubhouse line against a rising, incoming, tide followed by a long downwind leg to the No 1 mark  by the road bridge across the river. It was then a further beat back to the clubhouse line.

Veronica Falat (Waveney and Oulton Broad) was first away close to the Norfolk shore and then Ian Bradley (Ouse ASC) near the Suffolk (Clubhouse) shore. Next up was Mark Langston (Beccles ASC) followed by Alan Simmons (Lancing SC) then Rowan Curtis (Beccles ASC) and lastly Gary Hogan (Emberton Park SC) bringing up the rear of the six boat fleet. The breeze was a good top end force 3 but very variable in strength and direction, not helped by the tide against the boats and the bank side tree coverage and the inevitable Motor Cruiser traffic. First to reach the northern mark, No 4, was Ian just ahead of Veronica. Next to round was Mark followed closely by Rowan. On the downwind leg Veronica snatched the lead back from Ian only to lose it again upwind to the finish line. Third back across the line was Mark having just managed to hold off Rowan. Alan had dropped back even further and Gary caught up with him to pass him at the line.
In lap 2 Veronica and Ian were still head to head but it was Veronica who finished just in front after a tacking battle. Third place was just as keenly fought for between Mark and Rowan with Rowan just holding the lead between them. Gary, in spite of going into the reeds on the northbound leg, caught up, passed and then  pulled away from Alan to take fifth place.

Lap 3 saw Veronica still in front by a small margin from Ian and Rowan ahead of Mark with Gary still ahead of Alan. The fleet finished in this order.
After a short break Race 2 got under way with Veronica first across the line on the Norfolk side ahead of Ian on the clubhouse side. Mark was next away with Rowan just behind but also on the clubhouse shore with Alan and Gary following behind. At the end of the lap Ian was leading Veronica and Rowan ahead of Mark, then Gary and finally Alan.
Lap two saw Ian still just ahead of Veronica and Rowan likewise in front of Mark with
Gary well ahead of Alan.
Lap three, the final lap had Ian finish first in front of Veronica whilst Mark pulled back ahead of Rowan in the final stages.

After a break for lunch Veronica was first away, still choosing the Norfolk side with Ian upwind. Next away was Alan also on the clubhouse side of the river and just ahead of Mark with Rowan next ahead of Gary. After a few tacks Veronica seemed to have lost all her wind whilst Alan was briefly lying second. That was not to last as he got too close to the Norfolk shore, caught up in the reeds/ water lilies and finished up pinned on the bank. After several attempts, which saw the rest of the fleet disappear down river, he got away from the bank only to capsize and, after recovery, had to follow the fleet from well behind. Ian, who had been in the lead, suffered gear failure when his outhaul rope snapped in his boom. He managed to catch enough rope to lash it together but could only pull back to 4^th passing Gary on the way. At the end of the lap Veronica was in front, ahead of Mark and then Rowan, with Gary 5^th and Alan bring up the rear.
Lap two saw Veronica still battling it out with Mark and Rowan still ahead of Ian with Gary way out ahead of Alan who seemed unable to catch up.

The final lap had Veronica holding off Mark to take the gun whilst Ian had passed Rowan and who in turn was ahead of Gary. Alan trailed in last, rueing his early, 5.00am, start of the day.

Results:-

Helm	Club	Sail No	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Points	Position
Veronica Falat	Waveney & Oulton Broad SC	1654	1	(2)	1	2	1
Ian Bradley	Ouse ASC	1817	2	1	(3)	3	2
Mark Langston	Beccles ASC	1789	(4)	3	2	5	3
Rowan Curtis	Beccles ASC	1664	3	4	(4)	7	4
Gary Hogan	Emberton Park SC	1757	5	5	(5)	10	5
Alan Simmons	Lancing SC	1700	6	6	(6)	12	6

 Alan.S 1700