16/09/2017
Broxbourne Open Broxbourne Sailing Club

The final event in the 2017 Pinnell & Bax Streaker Southern Paddle series took place at Broxbourne SC on Saturday 16^th September in light and very variable wind. 12 boats took part from as far afield as Somerset and Suffolk.

In the first race Ben Harris, Peter Selway and Veronica Falat were the early leaders but Howard Frear got an overlap at the 2^nd mark and took the lead along the next reaching leg. Once on the beat again Veronica managed to pick some good shifts and gradually pulled ahead leaving a tight bunch of boats to fight for second place. The breeze was very fitful and it was easy to get stuck in calm spots but eventually it was Mark Langston who finished behind Veronica with Howard in third place.

After lunch the breeze was just the same. Race 2 saw Alex Reindorp, Mark and Howard get away well. Veronica was near the back of the fleet at the first mark but gradually overtook people and on the second lap she and Alan Simmons caught a big port lift to take them to the front. From there, Veronica pulled away and Alan held off the bunch behind to finish 2^nd and Alex Reindorp was 3^rd.  

Veronica could now afford to sit out the third and final race and so could watch from the clubhouse as a big black cloud delivered a very heavy rainstorm on the rest of the fleet. Howard Frear took the lead early on and took the win while Alex Reindorp beat Mark Langston to second place.

Overall Veronica was 1^st, Howard 2^nd and Alex and Mark tied on points, the 3^rd place going to Alex on tie-break.

Veronica, Mark, Alex and Howard were the top 4 in the overall Southern Paddle series. During the prize-giving, the draw was held to find the winner of the Pinnell and Bax sail; every Streaker association member competing in the series gets tickets for the draw according to the number of races they sail in and this year the lucky winner was Chris Smith who finished 8^th overall in the series.