Autumn Regatta is a success

The Yare Sailing Club had an excellent turnout for their Autumn Regatta at Cantley, helped by being hosts for the peripatetic Crystal Ball Trophy.

Following last year's successful innovation, a pursuit race was again run on the Saturday afternoon on a course downstream from Cantley as far as Hardley Dyke. Of the slower boats, John Ellis Blue Jacket and John Smith's Pandora held out near the front of the fleet until a windshift around the factory about 20 minutes from the end shook up the fleet.

Joy (Phil Davies) emerged from the pack first, but was eventually hunted down by Richie Dugdale on Zingara, who was still holding the lead at the end of the race.

The Crystal Ball race on Sunday morning began with a tack up Cantley Reach, through the woods at Langley and then on a four-lap reaching course upriver. For once, conditions favoured the slower yachts.

This gave Pandora a commanding lead on corrected time, with the rest of the fleet bunched very tightly behind. Only two minutes separated the next six finishers. To the delight of Yare Sailing Club members, the winning helmsman nominated the same race next year for the 2013 running of this sought after trophy.

The final race on Sunday afternoon was a short one within the confines of Cantley Reach, with Dave Thompson on Cordon Rouge taking first place and the Nelson Trophy for overall winner of the weekend.