Race Report 14th June 2026

OOD:  Andy Ross;       Safety Boat:  Joe Armitage and Charlie

Course: short A;   blue sky;    Weather: Fine; Wind – faint to variable W, F0-3.

Start:  13:20.  4 starters

As kayakers paddled on their Steve Backshall-style expedition to explore the undiscovered gorges, canyons, and white-water whirlpools of the upper Thames, so our sailors embarked on an F0 directionless, dead-calm drift to a shortened Zoffany start, which they all passed.  Easing their way back Lev and Inna Kolobov (Porpoise, Enterprise) overshot it, and doubled-back while Nick Jeffery and Emma (Eeyore, Duckling) caught up and Chris Greenwood and Felicia (Distant Thunder, Leader) took the lead.  A Hockney-blue sky fixed the frame that was hard to escape in the first lap.  But a milky whisp of cloud suggested that Turner might unsettle the picture.  Lap 2, F1+ and some separation of the fleet as Joe in the SB with his friend Charlie, sped around to avoid them, and Tim Wellburn with daughter Emma (Ixion, Enterprise) in a white sou’wester hat thought the buoy had gone to Isleworth, and the OOD was facing a ten-column nightmare of racing laps.  After 9 laps from Lev (first) and Chris, and 6 laps from Tim and Nick, all within 2 minutes, the Master of Sums has VAR Moment of Decision on who was the winner.

Andy Ross, OOD

And the winners are/were:   Nick Jeffery (Handicap Cup); Lev Kolobov (Class Cup); and also in the Polly Prize.

Next week is a late A/B course at 19:00