Race Report. 29th March 2026
OOD: Rebecca Hayes. Safety Boat: David Baker
Weather: dry, cold, wind force 3-4 B SW, gusty.
The third race of the season was an A-Course with two buoys in front of the Steam Packet and by the barge dock. We had a strong seven boat turnout with 3 Enterprises; Big Polly helmed by Dave Berger with Shelia crewing (welcome visitors from Yorkshire); Lev Kolobov was solo in Porpoise; and father and daughter team James Armitage helming with Ruth crewing in Zephyr; Tamir Gottfried and Ben Chappell in their Lasers; Sam Shemtob with crew in Wayfarer SY2, and Lennard Pronk who was taking Tango out for the second time and mainly using the race to get used to his Solo. The WillyWeather forecast promised cloud, no rain, and light winds with the odd blink of sunshine — and while the Thames broadly agreed, it also threw in some unexpected gusts that kept everyone alert.
Launching took a little longer than usual with so many boats, so the race began at 11.30am. Rebecca, Officer of the Day, had Ella assisting on the line, which proved wise as a second pair of eyes was needed as it proved to be a very exciting energetic race. Ben in his Laser Envy shot across first, catching an early puff before the wind faded again, turning the opening lap into a more tactical second part and one of the longest laps. Zephyr led the first lap in thirteen minutes, closely followed by Big Polly and Porpoise, the three Enterprises practically glued together. Tamir kept close behind, SY2 followed steadily and Lennard in Tango crossed the start line twenty‑five minutes later after bailing out some water and settling into only his second outing in the boat.
After the first lap there were a series of punchy gusts speeding up the laps and reshuffling the fleet. One of these sharp gusts capsized Tango in front of the pub and in the line of the other boats so Dave, in the safety boat, towed her clear and after a while Lennard righted her with impressive composure, earning warm applause from the pub as he carried on. Envy also had some dramatic moments, with Ben masterfully righting the Laser each time, much to the delight of the pub terrace who cheered him on.
The Enterprises continued their tight formation, while Tamir darted in and out of them, catching gusts at just the right moment. After an hour of lively, gust‑driven racing, the finish was a thriller: Tamir slipped ahead of Zephyr by just one second to cross the finish line, with Big Polly close behind and then Porpoise, all four boats completing 9 laps. Ben completed seven laps in Envy, Sam and crew finished with six laps in SY2, and Lennard completed four determined laps in Tango. Well, done to all who braved the cold to complete an adrenaline filled race.
Rebecca Hayes
Next week, 5th April, it’s another A or B course starting at 16:10, following a Working Party in the morning at 10:30.
