10/06/2023
Wroxham Dinghy Open Norfolk Broads Yacht Club

by Veronica Falat

7 Streakers took part in the Dinghy Open Meeting at Norfolk Broads Y.C. at Wroxham on Saturday 10th June and were given their own class starts. This was a glorious summer's day with bright sunshine and blue skies . . .  and a breeze that was extremely shifty! The racing was very competitive and there was plenty of place-changing. No lead was ever really big enough to be secure! 

In Race 1 Veronica Falat led all the way round and at times she looked quite comfortably ahead but on the last downwind leg, Adam Yorkston came cruising up from behind and played the shifts really well on the last beat so that both boats rounded the mark together and, despite being luffed by Veronica on the reach across to the finish, Adam snatched victory in the final few yards. Ian Bradley finished 3rd with Pete Matthews 4th.

For much of Race 2, it was Adam and Ian fighting for the lead with Veronica in 3rd place and, gradually, Adam pulled clear ahead. However, the final run saw Adam slow up and on the final beat, Ian managed to overtake him while Veronica picked up a big lift on port and claimed water from Ian at the mark and then just had to stay ahead along the reach to the finish to take the win. 

After lunch, Race 3 saw the same three boats pulling ahead but this time Ian was generally leading. On the second lap Veronica and Adam arrived at a windward mark together but a sudden windshift meant Veronica impeded Adam who had to tack clear and, in doing her penalty turns, Veronica dropped behind Pete Matthews and they finished in that order, with Ian taking the win.

This meant that the overall results rested on the final race and Ian sailed really well to not only get into the lead early on but to hang on to it! Adam came 2nd with Veronica a short distance behind, with Chris Foster 4th.

So the winner of the first Wroxham Streaker open was Ian Bradley of Ouse Amateur SC with Adam Yorkston, sailing his first open meeting away from his home club at Oulton Broad, taking second place overall. The first 3 races of the event count towards this year's East Anglian Streaker Series, a competiton that will resume next weekend at Oulton Broad on Saturday and Beccles on Sunday.

Many thanks to all at Norfolk Broads Y.C. for a super day's sailing!

Overall Results:

Sailed: 4, Discards: 1, To count: 3, Entries: 7, Scoring system: Appendix A