Queen Mary 2007
Queen Mary SC 15th-16th
September
2007
Seven Europes gathered at Queen Mary on Saturday, and waited for the wind - and waited and waited! Eventually there was some movement in the flags on shore, the committee boat set off, and we all followed, in case something might happen. The Bytes started before us and got a reasonable start in a faint breeze, but just before the Europe start it swung well to the right, so we all set off on a starboard reach. The breeze faded, died, came from the opposite side, then died again, and the race was abandoned. A little singing of Welsh anthems got the air moving about, but not enough to trouble the race officer (or the wallabies), so we headed back to shore. After postponing until next day it filled in, as we knew it would.
Mike Gilson (left) and Katie Mapplebeck Photos © Leslie Everitt
Keith Miller (left) and Jenny Rogers Photos © Leslie Everitt
However Sunday dawned much more promisingly, with an earlier start and the prospect of four races in the forecast 12 to 14 knots. In fact it built gradually as the day wore on, and everyone was suitably worn out by the end. We had a trapezoid with very tight reaches which didn't suit the lightweights, followed by one inner loop. Race one was over too quickly, so the course was made bigger, so that the windward mark was amongst the trees.
Gareth Williams made one slip-up, thinking he was over the line at the first start, but he had overtaken everyone before the first mark and was not headed again for the rest of the day. Richard Eagleton hung on closely to begin with, but Gareth always seemed to find a little extra to open up the lead. Katie Mapplebeck held third place throughout the day and Jenny Rogers would have been fourth in spite of a swim, but she was unaware of her OCS in race one until she had already come ashore to miss race four. Keith Miller was short of speed and Europe racing experience, but persevered. Mike Gilson's run of bad luck continued when his rudder stock fell apart, and Jane Stevens had problems with her sail falling down.
With this result and the Inlands still to come Gareth Williams and Katie Mapplebeck look set to stay at the head of the 2007 National Ranking table.
Gareth Williams Photo © Leslie Everitt
Overall Results
| Helm | Club | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | Total | Place |
| Gareth Williams | Leigh & Lowton | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Richard Eagleton | Bexhill | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 2 |
| Katie Mapplebeck | Ogston | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 | 3 |
| Keith Miller | Maidenhead | 5 | 5 | 5 | DNC | 15 | 4 |
| Jenny Rogers | Leigh & Lowton | OCS | 4 | 4 | DNC | 16 | 5 |
| Mike Gilson | Alton Waterr | 4 | DNF | DNC | DNC | 20 | 6 |
| Jane Stevens | Burghfield | DNF | DNC | DNC | DNC | 24 | 7 |
Richard Eagleton GBR330