1st July Gillette Series 13 2015

It was a very similar evening to last Wednesday, although a little warmer with the afternoon temperature reaching about 37° C ! , The wind was a 10 mph SW and Dave L set a beat to 4, then basically zig-zagged back up the lake via 2, 5, 8, 6 and 7 and back through the start.
There were 18 starters, although this may have been 20 as Hugh (Leader) and Tod (Pico) signed on, but then dropped off the radar as they were not listed on the race sheet at all.
Before the start Rick was rigging his new Laser with some tips from Jon, but he decided to tour round and watch rather than race.
The familiar figure first back through the start line was Ian C (Supernova) chased as often by Karen and Jon in Lasers.  Jon was sporting what looked like a brand new sail and he had not even had time to put his numbers up. Mark B (Laser) was next through in 4th place with Newton (Solo) 5th, Curtis (Laser) 6th and Jeremy T (Aero) 7th (this was Jeremy’s first race in his new Aero).  Ellen in the only Radial out tonight came past in 8th closely pursued by Chris A (Solo) and Sally & Stuart (Leader). Not far behind them was Paul H (Supernova) who was a little way ahead of Amy (Europe), Mike T (Laser) and the second Leader of Rob, Craig & Colum (in any order you like as it was not clear who was helming and who was crewing, they looked very relaxed any way). Finally bringing up the rear were Mike A (Lightning), Mike C (Solo), Tracey (Comet) and Chris S (Laser).
Ian was still leading at the end of the second lap and every subsequent lap until the finish, so we can forget about him until the end. Mark had moved up to 2nd, a position which he held until the end, so we can forget about him as well. Jon was now 3rd with Curtis 4th, Karen 5th and Newton 6th. Jeremy had decided to retire which moved everyone up a place, so Ellen was now 7th and Chris A 8th, but most boats basically maintained position. The highest movers were Mike A up five places to 9th and Mike C up four places to 12th. Chris S also retired and the race sheet recorded somewhat cryptically against his name “wrong side”
Not sure what this refers to, Chris definitely does not look like an alien (well not much) so he presumably went round a mark or several marks on the wrong side or perhaps he just got on the wrong side of the OOD team.
Lap 3 and Jon had relinquished his 3rd spot by retiring or perhaps he retired because he had lost 3rd place, but probably because he did not want to overstretch his smart new sail.  This moved Karen up to 3rd in front of Curtis. Ellen and Chris A were still very close together and Sally & Stuart were having a real battle with Mike A, Mike C and Paul H in mid fleet (well the back of mid fleet !) Amy also retired from the fray.
On Lap 4 Curtis retired – it must be the effects of the heat, they’re dropping like flies !
This moved Newton up to 4th and everyone behind him up one place. The only real change in position was Mike C getting past Mike A.  It also appeared that the “three men in a boat” had got too relaxed and there were several entries of “wrong side” against their names and finally a “DSQ” ! Not sure what they had been getting the wrong side of, but eventually they did get the wrong side of the OOD !  It so happened that as Sally & Stuart and Mike C crossed the line at the end of this lap Ian was coming in to finish his fifth and final lap and received the customary “double toot” Sally and Mike C assumed incorrectly that they were being finished and started to veer off course and they only realised their error when Mike A who crossed the line just behind them did not receive a finish gun.
Ironically Tracey who was a little further back was finished at the end of the fourth lap.
At the end of the fifth lap the leading four boats were still the same but Chris A had nipped past Ellen to finish 5th. Mike A by courtesy of Sally & Stuart and Mike C crossed the line in 7th, although Sally did catch and pass him only to let him through on the very last mark before the finish.
The final positions on the water were 1st Ian; 2nd Mark; 3rd Karen; 4th Newton; 5th Chris A; 6th Ellen.
On handicap it is likely that Newton will squeeze into 2nd ahead of Mark and Karen.
 
Thanks to Dave L and the OOD Team (sorry – no names on the race sheet)