International 14 Open meeting at Blakeney, Norfolk – 20/21 September 2008

The sun rose on Blakeney Cut but for once at this International 14 Open only the birds were there to see it.  No rigging boats in the dark, no leaving the B&Bs without a cooked breakfast ...– luxury!  Getting the tide right and deeper water meant the racing was scheduled later in the day and later in the year.  This turned out to be the only fine weather weekend Blakeney had had this year and we were there to enjoy it¬! 

5 boats pitched up; Ian Turffrey and Barbara (me) from Rickmansworth in Billabong (K885) and James and Erica Bradbury in Swansong (K1053) as well as Chris Dunster and his son from Norwich and the Beeston Boys, Brian and Andy.  Joe Plant crewed Edward Allen as the only home boat.

Well Saturday morning came and we sauntered out in the sunshine, put the boat in the water and it capsized in the mud on its own.  Ok, we can see how this is going to be, hard work from the off. Ian bailed it out and we reached up The Cut and made the start of the first race.  The Committee Boat detailed the course, 5 marks and 3 laps, all to port. James and Erica pulled away upwind following Chris and junior from Norwich.  All the boats rounded the mark and we put our spinnaker up.  The Beeston boat put their spinnaker up as well and overtook us.  3 laps later Chris was home and dry.  We were last.

The 2^nd race was a port start, Ian and I got a good start, but then got left behind.  James and Erica got in second, while Chris’s coffee table finish on his beautifully kept 14 got speared right through by an outboard motor on a moored boat.  We were last.

We headed back down the Cut, rolltacking all the way which turned into a right scramble not to go backwards or hit any moored boats.  A lovely couple who live in Blakeney, Joan and Graham Chase, entertained us all to lunch where their Uffa Fox designed 1947 Int 14 was resplendent on the back lawn.  Another resident of Blakeney was there, Randolph Wolfe, his friend and daughter.

Sunday dawned but we were even later down to the waters edge.  The wind was non-existent but eventually we were towed out to the startline by the non-sailing members who were treated to a trip by Graham Chase in a lovely wooden boat which had once been used as a lifeboat at Blakeney.

Two more races ensued as some wind came up from the South West again.  Team Billabong didn’t follow the rest of the fleet, tacked for the windward mark and took three boats out to climb to 2^nd place but that didn’t last as we then lost the plot and went walkabout down the scenic route via the wrong mark.  A joint blonde/bald moment.  We came last.

The 4^th race saw the fleet with barely 200 yards from the front to the back and a great race.  James and Erica were very narrowly beaten to 2^nd place and hey we came 4^th.

The final results were 1^st Chris from Norwich. 2^nd James & Erica, 3^rd Edward Allen for Blakeney, 4^th Brian and Andy from Beeston and LAST BUT NOT LEAST Ian and Barbara.  Great sailing, with superb spinnaker practice, this is really an excellent weekend for anyone who can rolltack in a 14 and enjoys a fun social time around it.