A well-attended Fitting-Out Supper on Saturday, April 2, marked the opening of the 2005 sailing season at Saundersfoot Sailing Club. It should have been followed by the first race of the new season on Sunday, April 3, but 'the best-laid plans of mice and men' met their usual fate and on this occasion vanished into the murk. Until the day comes that all dinghies are equipped with radar and satellite navigation, we cannot run a race when the entrants cannot see where they have to go and the race officers cannot see where they have actually gone. That way we risk finishing with less competitors than when we started and making headlines in the tabloids for all the wrong reasons. The next attempt to start the race season on Sunday, April 10, encountered more problems in the form of a novel 'hazard to shipping'- a submerged JCB - captured on film for posterity by our ace roving reporter 'Landlubber'. To add to the confusion, the course board was blown off the wall and the start was delayed until a patrol boat had 'rescued' the essential codes from the bottom of the bay. Once the race was underway, there were no further mishaps and from an initial field of 12 starters the winners were: 1. Nick Berridge (Phantom); 2. James North (Topper); 3. Govan Berridge (Laser). A special welcome also goes to Rachel Tudor, completing her first race in an Optimist. Paul Johnson started the season with a new mount - a Tasar, while Leighton Price, known to be partial to thoroughbred boats with two speeds - flat out or submerged - arrived with the latest RS Feva. Their progress will be noted.
FLYING THE FLAG
It is always a pleasure to report on the successes achieved by Saundersfoot Sailing Club members in open competitions elsewhere - flying the SSC flag as it were. Govan Berridge, who is a member of the Welsh national squad, spent last week at the UK Youth National Championships - a major event by any standards - 380 competitors, classes for Lasers, 49ers, Hobie Cats among others, held at Largs in south-east Scotland. In the Laser Radial class, Govan came sixth overall in a field of 103 entrants. The event took place in heavy weather, gusting 30 knots at times - clearly not a place for faint hearts of any age - well done Govan.
Ancient Mariner