Royal Harwich Yacht Club held its first Firefly open for over 40 years on 23-24 June at Woolverstone base on the River Orwell.

The 12 visiting boats who travelled from venues as far apart as Herefordshire, Hampshire and Yorkshire enjoyed a glorious weekend’s racing in bright sunshine and a Force 2-3. The host club pulled out all the stops with committee boat starts, a barbeque, late bar and challenge croquet match for competitors on Saturday night and allowed everyone to camp on the club lawn. Six races were held and by the start of final race, three boats were still in contention for first overall.

Steve Greaves and Rosie Brown had a great first day with two first and a third, but slipped to sixth and fifth on Sunday morning. Alex Davey and Elaine Goodman had a bad first day, but won both races on Sunday morning to bring them back into contention for overall honours.

Barney Smith and Damian Boreham, despite a slip to eighth in race three, had the most consistent set of results, but still needed to beat Davey and Greaves in the last race to take the meeting.

With Greaves having a bad start, the meeting was decided by one shift at the first mark which gave Smith and Boreham a five metre lead over Davey and Goodman which they held to the finish. Fourth and fifth overall was fought over by two all girl boats, with Jane and Amy Stamp, who’d swapped helming between each race eventually prevailing over newcomers to the fleet Lucy Boreham and Alice Gardner.

Royal Harwich also hosted a club event for National Twelves over the weekend, giving the many club members spectating from their yachts on Sunday the chance to see two classic 12ft classes on the water at the same time. The National Twelve event was won by Bruce and Richard Johnson.

Overall Results

1st F3133, Fourwood Thinking, Barney Smith and Damian Boreham Wessex Exiles 1, 2, (8), 3, 3, 1 (10pts)

2nd F2649, Mustard, Alex Davey and Elaine Goodman Rickmansworth SC/Hornsea SC 2, 6, (7), 1, 1, 2 (12pts)

3rd F2296, Falken, Steve Greaves and Rosie Brown Rickmansworth SC 3, 1, 1, (6), 5, 5 (15pts)

4th F3125, Puree, Jane/Amy Stamp Spinnaker/Rickmansworth SC 4, 4, 6, 2, (6), 4 (20pts)

5th F3230, Api Ap,i Lucy Boreham and Alice Gardner Marconi SC 6, 7, 5, 5, (8), 3 (25pts)