Race Report
Sunday 21 June 2026
OOD: Nick Jeffery
SB: Enoch Rodriguez+ Andy Ross
Weather: Light Easterly breeze. Sunny. Hot
A prospective new member (with a Firefly) approached the club as boats were being prepared and a three-Laser line up was achieved, thanks to our Commodore Felicia racing back from a rowing event in Henley bringing son Kiran.
Keith Clarke (Kaia, Laser) and Joe Armitage (Punt, Laser) launched, and a pit-stop team had Kiran Biekarck’s Laser 5.7 (pink & blue sail) in place and launched 10 mins before the start of a triangle A course, ably laid by Enoch Rodriguez and Andy Ross.
The 6-minute horn went at 19:00 at the Bell & Crown start line. As the 3-minute warning was sounded, Kiran was being plucked from a capsize into the safety boat and Felicia paddled towards his laser in a kayak. Keith was just over the line at the start that Joe timed perfectly at 19:06.
Felicia dived in to pick up where Kiran had left off towards Kew Bridge and joined the race two minutes after Joe had completed his first lap In 7 minutes 21 seconds). Felicia completed her first lap 21 minutes 40 seconds after the start (but 12 minutes 26 seconds after her start) and Keith completed his first lap 15 minutes 20 seconds after the start (some time having been spent recrossing the line).
The OOD decided to wrap up after Joe completed 7 laps in 43 minutes 20 seconds, believing the breeze might drop and competitors were tired after the Tideway race the day before.
Keith completed 4 laps in 46 minutes 32 seconds and Felicia completed 4 laps just 3 minutes 26 seconds behind, with a smaller sail and a nice gust for the final leg.
Even without adjustment for the late start the final corrected time results were: 1. Joe / 2. Felicia / 3. Keith. The Master of Sums confirmed that these results would have stood even if 9 minutes had been removed from Felicia’s time.
Nick Jeffery (OOD)
