Who drank all the beer?

Albacore Inland Championships at South Cerney

Friday evening arrivals camping at South Cerney made their weekend intentions clear, making a large hole in the beer barrel in preparation for the Albacore Inland Championships on 3 and 4 May. 24 entries included 17 visitors who were made welcome.

In race 1 Norman Halstead and Ruth Birkett made a clean start and led round the first mark, followed by David and Nick Hammond and Judy and Paul Armstrong. A shifty south-easterly breeze at 7 to 10 knots saw a battle between Halstead and Hammond with many changes of lead. Halstead finally got away and established a good lead to finish well ahead. Hammond was closely followed by Armstrong, and Neville Herbert and Steve Penfold recovered from a bad start, coming through the fleet to take fourth.

Even shiftier wind at the start of race 2 caused a last-minute postponement and resetting of the course. Armstrong was clear at the windward mark with a gaggle including Halstead and Trevor and Ann Smith vying for second place. Lulls and gusts plagued the race, but Armstrong pulled ahead followed by Halstead, with Herbert again recovering from a poor start. No one could catch Armstrong, but Herbert played the shifts to just pip Halstead on the line.

In race 3 John Woffenden and Matt Metcalfe-Smith sailed a great first beat to lead around the first mark. Armstrong and Herbert were closely followed by Steve Ashford and Martin Yeomans, Johnnie Dellow and Jason Philips, and the Smiths. Woffenden led for nearly a lap but boat speed took its toll and Herbert stormed past into the lead. A battle for third ensued with Armstrong, Hammond and Halstead holding position, closely followed by Ashford and Jean and Derek Simmons.

The barrel was seen off during the evening, and all the pies were eaten. On Sunday morning light or glass smooth presented race officer Mike Johnson with no choice but a brief postponement to start the day. Race 4 got underway with Armstrong, Herbert, Simmons, and Robin Birkett and Matt Hocking all making the best of the light air. Herbert and Simmons engaged in a luffing match to allow Armstrong to establish a lead on the first lap, only to lose it again by mark 4. Herbert held the lead as Halstead made his way up to second place. Armstrong overtook Simmons and the wind became patchy as Herbert took the gun.

Race 5 after lunch started in a light south-easterly and rain, with Armstrong at the windward mark first. Herbert rounded second but was OCS at the start (as was Hammond, who, unlike Herbert, returned). The wind dropped but progress was made to allow two laps and a beat to be sailed. Armstrong won, Halstead gained ground to finish second despite Herbert's earlier efforts to slow him down, and a great race was sailed by Birkett and Hocking to take third. Time did not allow a third race. Final positions were based on five races with two discards, with only one point difference between the first three boats.

see a full set of photos at www.picasaweb.google.com/andysturla

Mike Johnson and Ruth Birkett