Sunday September 24th was a challenging day for the sailors competing in the 2023 Cookham Reach Sailing Club Autumn Series as winds in the high teens caused capsizes and boat failures.
Race officers, James Long, Mandy Taylor and Carole Dixon had to decide whether to setup a remote start for racing as southerlies shifting to south-westerlies meant light winds near the club but strong winds upstream past the bend. The race team felt that the wind was strong enough to sail the lower course, so they set a course with four buoys. The sailors started upstream from the club and passed the bend sailing a D buoy to port which was set forty metres upstream of the bend and about twenty metres out from the Bucks bank. They sailed up the A buoy and rounded to port which was set midstream out from the lower of the willow trees, then down to the B buoy which was setup about twenty metres upstream of the bend on the Berkshire bank and rounded to port, they then rounded the D buoy to starboard before returning back to the finish line and rounding the C buoy to port which set just below the start line and about thirty metres out from the jetty.
Four sailors started the first race and Gary Adshead (OK 1990) and Andrew Yuille (LN 443) made the best starts moving into an immediate lead. Behind, Duncan Watts (LN 446) and Jerome Dreux (OK 2007) were closely matched on the way downwind to the A buoy. By the time the sailors had returned back up the course to the dog leg on the bend, Jerome and Duncan had passed Andrew and at the line Gary led Jerome with Duncan and Andrew chasing just behind. Gary extended his lead on the second lap and Andrew passed Duncan for third place. On the third lap, Andrew moved into second and these positions were held to the race end with Gary coming home a comfortable winner ahead of Andrew, Jerome and Duncan.
Peter Withrington (LN 442) put his boat on the water and joined the sailors for the second race. They were closely matched as they headed down to the bend and bunched up passing the D buoy to port. Gary moved into the lead again with Andrew and Jerome closely following. As they rounded the dog leg on the return, Jerome’s mainsheet block parted company with his boat and he was forced to retire. Gary led at the line ahead of Andrew, Peter and Duncan. On the second lap, Duncan capsized between the bend and the A buoy and had trouble getting back into the boat, forcing a retirement. Peter also retired after being hit on the head by his boom during a jybe leaving only two boats in the race. Gary led Andrew for the rest of the race and they finished in that order.
The sailors competed for the Master’s Trophy during the afternoon races and these also counted for Autumn Series points.