A stiff northerly breeze greeted the dinghy sailors competing in Flushing SC regatta as they left the beach at Restronguet sailing club to reach across to Run Tum Tugger, writes Harold Martin, the committee boat anchored a little way north of St Just in Roseland.

Even before the races began at 11am, the rescue boats were busy helping capsized participants. The demolition derby began in earnest as the signals started the classes and even on the beat some boats were overwhelmed by the power of the gusts.

On getting to the windward mark they bore away, reaching swiftly downwind to the gybe mark, and it was here that many difficulties occurred. Gybing a spinnaker in such conditions is not for the fainthearted or inexperienced as many boats found to their cost.

The powerful rescue boats dashed around and stood by as crews attempted to right their upturned boats and some unfortunates experienced another capsize immediately after righting the first one.

The big tides caused one surprise when an experienced helm found that when he was capsized he could easily stand on the bottom and find the water to be only chest deep, although he was a long way offshore from Greatwood. Some pieces of equipment were tested to destruction and so the procession of boats limping home began.

In other boats which held together, it was exhaustion which caused the crews to decide that a cup of tea on the beach seemed a better and better idea.

The programme was for two morning races to be held back-to-back, but as the fleets rapidly diminished it was decided that one race would suffice, so that soon after midday the dinghy racing ended.

The officer of the day for the afternoon session realised that conditions were deteriorating, because the freshening northerly wind would be against an incoming tide, which would inevitably throw up a difficult swell.

Thus, racing for nine classes of open boats in the afternoon was cancelled, a sad but wise decision. Out in the bay racing for the bigger yachts in testing conditions continued.

On Shenanigan in A class as one particularly powerful gust hit, the mainsheet traveller exploded, showering the cockpit with ball bearings. Happily, on the cockpit floor was a large ring to which the crew managed to attach the damaged mainsheet and to their relief it worked reasonably well, serendipity reigned!

There was fierce racing in the class and later on there was a close incident between the damaged Shenanigan and Celebration. Luckily, a collision was just avoided because with a swell and a wind gusting up to 40 knots, the potential danger to the crew is high.

The Projections Pink Gin and Miss Piggy had very close duels and enjoyed planning at up to 16 knots and such a speed eased the force of the apparent wind and got the adrenaline to flow in the excited crew. This ability makes these boats extremely competitive against the larger and heavier traditional displacement yachts.

RESULTS

Bay Fleet: 1, Alderney Race (C Gladwell); 2, Flying Circus (D Healey); 3, Sooty (C Firth).

Class A IRC Division I: 1, Jinja (I Matthews); 2, Gotcha (J Symington); 3, Jacobi (T Statham).

Class Q IRC Division II: 1, Pink Gin (P Knight); 2, Celebration (W Jennings); 3, Miss Piggy (T and D Cunliffe).

Class J J24: 1, Zimmer (P Walsh); 2, Jiggy With It (C Brown); 3, Zaphod (P Owen).

Class E PY Division I: 1, Bee Jolly (S Hill); 2, Illusion of Lorne (P Sharp); 3, Noon Hi (J Penty).

Class U PY Division II: 1, Moonlighter (P Collins); 2, Asti (B Lukey); 3, Mary Boon (J Cruise).

Class K Marieholms: 1, Pele (L Careless); 2, Kalinka (P Evans); 3, Emily Too (J Tresidder).

Class D Sportsboats: 1, The Jules Argo Ratpack (C and A Russell).

Class T Twisters: 1, Crionna (MacMullen); 2, Helix (C Hoare); 3, Hiner (P Walker).