Sunday 31st July

A much better wind than was forecast.  We were able to start with a true leg to windward, to B, off Silvers.  The adversaries, Teal and Catriona were soon battling.  Determined luffing slowed them both, Thalia and Halcyone made hay.  At the windward mark, Thalia’s sail number could not be read.  Teal had the better of Catriona and Halcyone was close.

Downwind the the Shandon shore, Halcyone dropped back for want of a spinnaker.  Thalia indulged in some spectacular rocking and rolling, best watched from a distance.  Teal and Catriona were overlapped for most of the leg, with Teal having the favoured inside position for the mark rounding.  At the last moment, a puff of wind together with a late drop of the spinnaker allowed Catriona to go round in front.  Teal was obliged to tack away for the start of the next windward leg to Clynder.  She found less favourable wind.  Thalia was undone by wind taking her in the wrong direction as she approached the mark.

At the end of the first round, Thalia was lying second but Teal’s crew were thinking it was only a matter of time.  Halcyone just failed to take a place at the finish.

 

1 Catriona, 2 Teal, 3 Thalia, 4 Halcyone, 5 Hermes, 6 Ceres.