Gusty winds on Oulton Broad provide close sailing races

A gusty and shifty south-westerly wind was blowing on Oulton Broad at all strengths between 10 and 20 mph on Sunday.

The start lines were tricky to get right, with the port end being favoured - but could you clear the jetty on starboard, or would you need to call for room to tack?

Edward Hornagold leading out of the start line. (Image: Sue Harper)

In the Fast Handicap fleet, George Madin in his Aero timed the start perfectly – but two seconds early so had to return to clear himself.

This clearly got him pepped up, as he then went on to win the race by two seconds from Simon Beckett in his Laser.

The Squibs saw Croc (Chris and Gill Jordan) sail out from the middle of the line, just far enough to windward to clear those that had to tack for the jetty, and to take the lead around the first lap, but then Brimstone (Bryan and Jenny Riley) slipped past on the second beat.

Chris Schonhut ahead of Chris Jordan and Bryan Riley. (Image: Sue Harper)

Flame (Richard Smith and Graham Reeve) took advantage of a Croc spinnaker slip-up on the third lap to take second place.

The second set of races saw a change of course to give two accurate beats across the Broad, resulting in some very close racing throughout the fleets.

Paramour (Chris Schonhut and Laurence Read) sailed out with great speed from the starboard end of the line into the lead on the first beat.

After losing the lead to Brimstone on the second beat, they re-took it again at the end of the dead run.

Richard Fryer leads George Madin out of the start line. (Image: Chris Jordan)

Croc was maintaining a leisurely 4th place for the first couple of laps, before turning the speed on up the beats to overtake Brimstone and to hold the lead to the finish.

Results

1st Fast Handicap

1 Aero Un Poco Loco George Madin

2 Laser Rawhide Simon Beckett

3 Streaker Renegade Mark Langston

2nd Fast Handicap

1 Aero Un Poco Loco George Madin

2 Laser Rawhide Simon Beckett

3 Streaker Renegade Mark Langston

1st Squibs

1 Brimstone Bryan and Jenny Riley

2 Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve

3 Croc Chris & Gill Jordan

2nd Squibs

1 Croc Chris & Gill Jordan

2 Brimstone Bryan and Jenny Riley

3 Flame Richard Smith and Graham Reeve

1st Slow Handicap

1 Topper Doh-Nut Nathan Clark

2 Optimist Snoopy Jack Reeve

2nd Slow Handicap

1 Topper Doh-Nut Nathan Clark.