A desperate turnout of nine boats, equalling the worst ever. Its difficult to work out exactly what went wrong. Certainly we were missing a suprising large number of regulars with new babies, weddings, work committments and so on, but we also didn't get a single first time entry either, so it doesn't seem as if it was just bad luck. It does seem as if this early in the season a lot of folk still haven't got their boats sorted too as winter maintenance overruns. Its funny - we often seem to get poor turnouts in East Anglia. I don't know why - answers on a postcard please!

After a leisurely start the wind filled in late and allowed for the two races as planned. Everyone lined up in good style for the first start after the Int Canoes. After the gun, Shiney Beast and Mango Jam left and made gains in the tide and got lifted to the windward mark. Downhill Mango and Shiney had a tussle with Little Red Number trailing in their wake. Everyone in the fleet enjoyed tight racing with places changing round.p>

1. Shiney Beast
2. Mango Jam
3. Little Red Number
4. THE Slug
5. Fizzy Shark

The second race started quickly afterwards (and after a gloriously chaotic Canoe start with a major pin end pile up featuring one helm swimming after his boat!) with more breeze filling in and most getting wiring uphill. At the tail end of the fleet, the two Bistros, Halo Jones and Fluffy Clouds had a good battle with Squid Quo Pro all the way round. Fuzzy Logic showed bursts of speed not seen before and provoked Fizzy to use covering tactics. In spite of much place swapping the final results for race two were virtually the same as for race -

1. Shiney Beast
2. Mango Jam
3. Little Red Number
4. Fizzy Shark
5. THE Slug

A much better day for the breeze, with it building through the day to a very decent blast in the last race, especially as the tide turned and that Blackwater chop built. The first race heard a second gun at the start, and a rather puzzled white Slug doubling back round a mark they were sure they had been behind at the start. They were right - but that was the leeward mark and not the outer distance. Mango Jam set off fast, followed by Shiney Beast, with Slug also well in attendance. The Beast found an excellent shift on the last beat to take the lead, but Mango powered over them on the last short reach to the finish to grab it back at the last second.

1. Mango Jam
2. Shiney Beast
3. Fuzzy Logic
4. Little Red Number
5. Fizzy Shark

Race 4 saw another fast start for Mango, and they took out a good lead from the Slug, with Beast well in attendance too. Close behind were Halo Jones and Fizzy Shark, swapping places and back on the next legs, until Halo dropped back with a ripped kite, shortly followed by Mango with a snapped bowsprit. The Slug then held a reasonably comfortable lead to the end.

1. THE Slug
2. Shiney Beast
3. Little Fluffy Clouds
4. Fizzy Shark
5. Little Red Number

For Race 5 the wind had built some. The Slug led from start to finish, followed by the Beast. Little Red Number and Fizzy Shark were having a ferocious battle a little further back, terminated when the Number capsized so close to Fizzy that Fizzy could manage to miss Number's daggerboard, which snapped off. Ouch!

1. THE Slug
2. Shiney Beast
3. Fizzy Shark
4. Little Fluffy Clouds
5. Little Red Number

A wet start to the day with no wind. Race 6 started late as a bit of wind came in, but it was fairly light. Mango Jam led up the first beat, but Shiney Beast made better use of the tide at the top and snuck through, and then extended their lead for the rest of the race in their preferred conditions. Mango Jam fought hard with Little Red Number and prevailed at the end, with The Slug fourth.

1. Shiney Beast
2. Mango Jam
3. Little Red Number
4. THE Slug
5. Fizzy Shark

The afternoon programme was scheduled with a long distance race for a separate trophy, which was won by Andy and Alex Paterson in Shiney Beast. Not everyone sailed this one, with a certain amount of boat swapping going on.

Mango Jam led briefly led up the first beat of race 7, but Shiney Beast slipped through at the windward mark, followed by Shiney Beast and Halo Jones. On the run White Slug came through to third, and fought hard with Mango Jam as Shiney Beast took a good lead. Mango and Slug fought so hard that they didn't notice Fuzzy Logic take out the pair of them for second place, Shiney Beast having won both the race and the Championship.

1. Shiney Beast
2. Fuzzy Logic
3. Mango Jam
4. THE Slug
5. Little Red Number

In between races there was a massive squall which provided the best sailing of the Championships, but also torrential rain.

Unfortunately the wind had dropped again for the last race. Halo Jones pulled off a superb pin end start, closely followed by Mango Jam and then Shiney Beast at the windward mark. Shiney Beast got through to second, and these places stayed until the leeward mark. At this point the wind dropped completely, and the race was shortened leaving a tiny 50 yard hop to the finish. Tiny but for the tide and the lack of wind. Mango Jam got across quite quickly, eventually followed by Shiney Beast. After a considerable delay the former N12 sailors in Little Fluffy Clouds, who used all their suddenly relevant experience to pick up two places at the last gasp. The Slug then just pipped Halo Jones, whose highly prebent rig was eminently unsuitable for the conditions!

1. Mango Jam
2. Shiney Beast
3. Little Fluffy Clouds
4. THE Slug
5. Halo Jones

A good but maybe not a vintage Championships. The lightish winds are just one of those things that happens, maybe too much lately. Its a drawback of the east coast that the prevailing wind and the sea breeze tend to fight, whereas on south and western coasts they're more likley to assist each other. The club was great, the food was good, the showers everything Ben promised - they must be the biggest generators of warm water in the area since the Nuclear Power station closed down! Another good win for the Patersons. Andy, with 4 wins, is level with Guy Lewington and behind only Davro in the most events won as helm list, and Alex, with three, also in equal second place behind Alex Windsor and level with Wendy Barclay and Helen Marsh. Gavin Sims and Simon Goodwin missed out by a narrow margin again, and must be wondering what they need to do to win. Andy Kinchin and Simon Roberts were very fast in the White Slug too, and given more consistency and perhaps less depsyching up of themselves about lighter weather could be in with a shot next year too.

The rest of the fleet - what there was of it - were never looking likely to regularly challenge the top - Patrick didn't seem to have got to terms with the setup of his boat for a much heavier crew, and will doubtless be tuning keenly over the rest of the season. Martin and Smiley had I thought a good regatta. They're obviously well in command of the boat, which is much more reliable now, and got some excellent results. Tim and Claire, sailing together for the first time I believe, were easily the quickest of the older boats, and are unofficial winners of the handicap prize, which we never got round to doing formally with so few folk present. Ben and Daryl continue to progress, and also picked up some 3s and 4s. They'll be looking forward to the new boat that they'll certainly be able to make excellent use of. Alex and I had very good speed at times, which was pleasing, but we suffered dreadfully from lack of boat prep - unable to hoist or drop the kite consistently until the last day. Next year! Mike and Tom could only make the weekend, and had an unlucky breakage to spoil even that. But the Squid really is looking much more sorted now, and they had good bursts of speed to show there's much more to come.