Following on from the DF65 morning racing the wind remained from the south west but strengthened throughout the session. 8 helms including Olly Murry were on the start line for the commencement of the races. The wind was the talk of the day coming from the houses which caused some 180 degree shifts along the length of the course as well as strong gusts and holes to catch even the experienced skippers out.
The same course as the morning was used starting at the clubhouse end, taking a windward mark and spreader to port, back down the lake to a gate and the finish half way back up the lake. It was decided to keep all 8 boats on the water and the first over the line would record the results.
The racing was well contested with a lot of lead changing especially around the windward spreader marks which if you were lucky a close fetch or if unlucky could take 4 or 5 tacks. Despite the difficult conditions the racing was generally very close with a couple of photo finishes. Top 3 finishes for Neil Westbrook, Alan Watkinson, Olly Murray, Dave Howard, Tony Sedgewick and Clive Warren shows how close the racing was.
Unfortunately after 5 races a strong squall came down the lake and took the result sheet with it, depositing it in the water, so no results are available. Racing continued for another 3 races to establish bragging rights. A fun day was had by most with a touch of frustration thrown in, and a steep learning curve for Olly who doesn’t get to sample such tricky conditions at Fleetwood, but he still left with a smile on his face.
