The size of the grins coming ashore after Saturday’s racing was proof alone that Aldeburgh had again laid on a great racing formula for the Fat Face K6 circuit last weekend.

The weather gods were smiling with a 20knt breeze blowing straight up the river and sunshine. Combine this with an ebb tide, and you got a very fast and wet beat to the windward mark and spectacular 14 knot downwind blasts surfing the waves. With the leeward mark laid just off the club, tickets could have been sold for the grandstand view.

The first race saw Ian Robson in the newest boat in the national fleet (Cloud Nine) locked with Martin Wadhams (Fat Face) in the oldest boat for the first three laps. Robson looked good for his first win but kite problems at the leeward mark let Wadhams and all-girl team through leaving Robson having to settle for third. ‘Conversations’ were obviously had on the boat, afterburners lit and, helped by Fat Face having to spin a 720 in the second race, Robson and team won races two and three.

After great club hospitality on the Saturday night, Sunday arrived with regular 30-knot gusts. There was general consensus that people would prefer to flex their credit cards in Aldeburgh than fill in claims forms, and racing was reluctantly cancelled.

Overall Results

1st 162 (Cloud Nine) – Ian Robson, Sandy Johnson, Amy Briffa – Aldeburgh YC

2nd 102 (Fat Face) – Martin & Amanda Wadhams, Sue Pelling – Lymington Town SC

3rd 142 (Komitas) – Simon Fulford, Martin Miller – Isle of Man SC

4th 127 (Cru Classe) – Alex and Becca Willard – Royal Corinthian YC

5th 145 (MM) – Gareth Watkins, Ian Shenkel – Queen Mary SC

6th 126 (Pippi) – Peter Kirkby, Will Elson – Queen Mary SC