The annual Tenby Sailing Club Regatta and Round Caldey Island Race was held over the weekend of June 24 and 25.

On the Saturday, a mixed fleet of 38 dinghies enjoyed three races around the cans, back to back, throughout the afternoon. The weather was largely overcast, but dry, and the wind variable force three to four south-westerly, with a lighter westerly during the second race.

Each race had a different winner, but overall the winner was Chris Martin and Tim from Midland SC, sailing a Merlin Rocket. Many congratulations to them, regular supporters of our Regatta.

Second Peter Rose and Igor from the home club, in a Scorpion, then Ted Lewis and Lucas, also from Tenby, in an Osprey. The first of nine Ospreys in the fleet, the Regatta doubling as an event in the South Wales Osprey circuit. Second in the Osprey fleet were Ken Brown and Chris from Sheppey, then Bob Taylor and Paul from Tata SC.

The Sunday dawned grey and windy, but with a forecast to improve. Indeed, as race time approached, the gloom lifted and the sun threatened an appearance. The wind, slightly stronger than Saturday, was a good force five from the South West, particularly through Caldey Sound and around the back of the island, where wind over tide conditions threw up some large and intimidating waves.

The Saturday fleet was joined by an extra couple of dinghies and eight cruisers who started separately at noon, the dinghies following at 12.15. A fetch from the start line in North Bay saw the fleet stretch out as it crossed the South Beach, providing quite a spectacle for the visitors enjoying the beach.

Into Caldey Sound, the strong outgoing tide created quite rough conditions in the tidal races and made beating up wind and tacking quite challenging. At the exit from the Sound and around the western end of St. Margaret’s, the fleet bore off, and took off, planing hard as their angle to the wind eased. Spinnakers appeared pretty soon and the leg became broader still, before gybing once past the Lighthouse and heading around the eastern end of Caldey.

The strong wind meant that the dinghies couldn}’t hold their return course with spinnakers up, so shortly after leaving the island behind, spinnakers were dropped and the fleet tight reached off towards the distance mark off Amroth. This was a long reach of probably about two miles and once there it was just the mile long beat back in towards Tenby and the finishing line!

The dinghy fleet had begun to overtake the cruisers around the back of the island and they finished first, led over the line (and the winners on corrected time) by the Fireball of Keith MacDonald and Andy Brittan from Small Heath YC, closely followed by Ken Brown and Chris Butters from Sheppey in their Osprey, then Jon Nuttall from Tenby in his Phantom.

A great result for the Phantom in a day of strong wind and big waves!

In the cruiser race, the honours were taken by yacht Apatshe, from yacht Slipstream, then yacht Aries, all within a couple of minutes on corrected time.

At the prize-giving in the Sailing Club on Sunday afternoon, the town Mayor, Clr. Mrs Sue Lane, kindly attended to present the prizes, as did Mr. David Lewis, representing the regatta sponsors, Messrs. Lewis Lewis and Co Ltd, local solicitors, whose munificence enables the club to offer the much sought-after team prize of £500.

This year, five teams competed, from Tata, Saundersfoot, a combined visitors team and two teams from Tenby.

The winning team were the Tenby Tigers, much to their delight, a team containing a mixed fleet of Osprey, Phantom, RS400, RS200 and a DZero. The first time for three years the local club has won the money!

All in all a good weekend of sailing in Tenby, with excellent attendance and participation, and all run by an enthusiastic and affable group of volunteer members. Many thanks to all of them.