Start of racing program

27 March – Start Of Racing Programme

I think the same people who sailed the last race of the 2010 season sailed the first race of the 2011 season. There was Nigel, myself, Pat and Charles in Lasers, Graham and Bryan in Grads, Pete in his Bosun and John in his SigneT. The winds were light out of the East, bright sunshine and hardly any stream to worry about. An ideal, easy, first sail to get the season started.

The morning race was followed by a series of starts and one mark to round before returning for the next start. The afternoon race was a re-run of the morning race around four marks. There was quite a lot of rowers out, as you would expect just after the Oxford/Cambridge boat race, so keeping a sharp lookout was essential. We even had a couple of early candidates for this years ‘Capsize Trophy’ (just love that rat).

But you have to wonder, there’s 60 odd boats along the bank and all we get is 7 or 8 for the opening race! It makes you wonder why people keep boats and don’t use them.

Anyway, those that did sail, had a great day, marred only by someone running their car over the road gate padlock and smashing it to bits. Nigel had to use an angle grinder to cut what was left of it off the chain. That, I think, is the 4th or 5th lock we’ve been through in the last year. Could everyone be a little more careful when coming and going through the road gate. Thames Water are running out of padlocks!

Mike (Over Easy) Baker