All’s well that ebbs well

By Patrick Cooney – 14/11/2023

The blowing winds were not cracking any cheeks at Waldringfield on Saturday for the third weekend of the Freezer series. No fewer than thirteen Lasers were on the startline to enjoy a challenging figure of eight course on the edge of the anchorage in a pleasantly moderate breeze. The aptly named race officer Harry Pynn set a short square line, making a clean start all the more critical.

Chris Videlo, taking a break from skippering obscenely large motor boats, stepped effortlessly into his brother’s boots to win the first race after a hard fought final beat, involving six boats cross tacking up the shore to finish within seconds of each other. The Yellow Peril benefited in particular from some handy wind shifts to take the runner up spot.

Girl Power came in the form of Imogen Crossfield (a regular this season with stalwart support from mother Sue), and Bea Walker, who discovered that an unwelcome rodent had taken a liking to her sail in her absence. Both girls appreciated the lighter conditions, as did the newbies, Tom Miller and Phil Skinner, who both got invaluable experience of fighting an ebb tide on two tricky upwind legs.

Toby or Not Toby….that was the question in the second race of the day which saw Messrs Tracey and Bush battling for pole position over the first four or five legs until the mud banks became a significant factor as the murky waters gushed down the Deben plughole. Captain Tracey kept out of the shallows to take line honours with John Ogden showing a David Cameron style comeback and the Hodgemeister also recovering from an indifferent performance in the first race.

A veritable Tempest is brewing for the final weekend of racing so switch off your TV, put down your paintbrush/screwdriver and join the swashbuckling singlehanders to earn your place at the curry house on Saturday night, where organiser Sam Jennings will somehow appear in virtual form to take your Cobra orders!