Strong winds and glorious sunshine provided near perfect conditions for the Lark Waldringfield Cartoon open meeting last weekend. The race management team wisely sailed all four races over high water giving competitors the chance to sample Waldringfield sailing at its best. In race 1, Nigel Scott crewed by Kate Samson showed great speed off the line. The lead swapped places several times as the fleet close-tacked up the shore against the tide with many boats going aground. Scott/Samson broke their mast as Chris and Cathy Fish led the fleet around the course. Geoff Sinton and Patrick Cooney followed them home, with Harry Pynn and Clare Gosling third.

The wind eased for race 2, a knitting course around the island. Pynn/Gosling took the shifts well up the first beat, a lead they never relinquished. Fish/Fish held off Alan Krailing and Gemma Thompson for second. The fleet were eagerly out of the blocks for Sunday1s race 3. Race officer Patrick Gifford was forced to call a general recall and subsequently raised the black flag for the restart. Tom Alexander and Sarah Wren led around the windward mark, but problems with their spinnaker allowed Pynn/Gosling into the lead. Chris Whitehouse and Joe Runnacles demonstrated that they might be the shape of things to come in their new boat taking second place ahead of Matt White and Clare LaForge.

The overall prize was to be decided in race 4. Fish won on the water but honourably retired after a shore-side debate about an infringement at the start. This meant that Geoff Sinton and Natalie Bannister were race winners. Pynn/Gosling were second and overall winners and Alexander/Wren were third.

Overall Results

1st Harry Pynn and Clare Gosling, Waldringfield SC 4 pts

2nd Chris Fish and Cathy Fish, Waldringfield SC 7 pts

3rd Geoff Sinton and Patrick Cooney/Natalie Bannister, Waldringfield SC 9 pts