Royal Thames David Diehl Series Regatta 3 — 05 September '08

05 September –07 May

Third and Final part of the Farr 45 series...

The final regatta of the 2008 Royal Thames David Diehl series for Farr 45s turned into something of a Demolition Derby even before it began – and continued as it had started. With a wicked weather forecast and end-of-season crew blues, five out of the 10 boats entered in the series announced that they would not make the weekend. The other five, however, were hot to trot, so the three-day regatta was shortened to two and all put their faith in the forecast that Friday’s gale would blow through by Saturday morning.

The forecast was, shall we say, optimistic. It was still blowing so hard on Saturday morning that conditions were over-the-limit for Atomic’s owner Tony Langley to land on the Island and so even as the committee boat put to sea, the five had become four.

Fortis Excel, Freddie Freeloader, Rebel and Exabyte Four lined up for the start of Saturday’s first race just as the manly 20-knotter was girding its loins and beginning to blow spume off the wavetops and even before the first mark was fetched the gusts were topping 25-knots. The run was exciting, with Exabyte wiping-out spectacularly (and happily without injury) on the gybe for the mark but with Fortis, Freddie and Rebel rounding nose-to-tail. Just what everyone says they like about these short-course windward-leeward races. Freddie had barely hardened up after the mark when the mainsail began to split, low-down near the tack, and the four became three. Half-way up the next beat Rebel’s track started to come away from the mast. And then there were two, after which and with no sign of any break in the weather it was a bit of a no-brainer, really. N over A came out – but by the time the signal was made there was no one around to look at it..

On Sunday Rebel could not be fixed and Atomic’s owner was still held off the Island, so again there were but three. In 15 knots of breeze there was a glimpse of what might have been this weekend had the weather not played quite rough as all three boats finished in line abreast with barely a second covering them. Lining up for the next start and with the Prep already coming down Freddie’s headsail followed suit. More halyard trouble. That was the end of Freddie’s weekend.

Fortis and Exabyte played on to take a win each in what had now become a match racing regatta, giving Agne Nilsson both the weekend and the series and with everyone ashore in time to watch the Grand Prix.

Not, perhaps, the end to the series that had been envisaged when the calendar was set at the beginning of the year but nonetheless a series in which there was a different winner in each of the three regattas, which is no more than it should be.

Individual regatta trophies will be presented at the class dinner in Knightsbridge on Monday 6^th October, 7.30 for 8.00, and the series trophy will be presented at the club’s annual Prizewinners’ Dinner on Tuesday 11^th November.

  Results of the third regatta are here.

 Full results for the series are here.

Click here for Entry Form for the series and for this regatta.

Click here for Sailing Instructions for this regatta.