Coppet Week
Coppet Week arrived last week with the best weather outlook for some years - mainly sunny conditions with variable, if lightish winds, but no storms or other potential disasters in prospect. Visiting sailors descended on Friday and Saturday making up a final total fleet of over 60 boats. The programme involves a 10 am race each day from Sunday to Friday.
For non-sailing readers, it is worth reflecting that this long standing tradition of family racing has been operating in Saundersfoot for almost 40 years and provides competitive but highly sociable and friendly sailing for a very wide range of competitors from many locations around the country.
It brings a couple of hundred visitors to enjoy and benefit our community.
This year, the age range of competitors spans over 70 years from 10 to over 80.
This year, there are 27 different classes of boats also ranging from the very new and extremely hi-tech to the very old, but often amazingly fast and well proven designs.
Slower, more basic craft for the less experienced are also entered and are able to compete against the professional end thanks to the well-proven RYA handicap system used for dinghies.
The sight of this very varied set of boats of different sizes, designs and colours is a truly impressive spectacle in the bay, especially when they are concentrated at the start of each race when all are jockeying for best position on the starting line.
The Commodore, Trevor Smith, gave a warm welcome to all competitors at the reception on Saturday evening.
It was also very pleasing to have Chris and Ray Avery visiting at the start of the event. Chris was one of the originators of the idea of a Coppet Week regatta back in the early 1970s and with son Ray, was indeed the first winner of the event as it then was, in a Lark dinghy.
The first of this year's races on the Sunday - the RNLI Pennant Race - saw 59 boats on the water in great conditions and seemed to be thoroughly enjoyed by all.
It was won by Robin Wood who is well known internationally on the racing circuits. This race raises a donation to the RNLI and we were delighted to present a cheque to Clr. Mrs. Rosemary Hayes, representing the RNLI, that same evening in a packed clubhouse of cheery people.
There was less wind for the Monday race which somewhat favoured the higher handicap (less fast) boats which was evidenced by a mirror dinghy with one of the highest of all handicaps in the fleet coming 10th out of nearly sixty boats.
The contrast of conditions was also reflected by the fact that Robin who won the Sunday race was actually last on the Monday - but as the first rate sportsman that he is, would not mind this being mentioned.
Our longstanding race officer, Rolfe John, who has run the races successfully for Coppet Week for some years, having done his duty for the first two days, then received a ducking up to his chest when disembarking from the patrol boat bringing him ashore at the end of the session - a sort of baptism of thanks from the safety crew!
More details on the rest of the event will appear next week.
Skipper's Mate