Dear GMYC members,

In view of the forecast of heavy rain tomorrow morning continuing into the afternoon tomorrow’s ALE is put back one week to Wednesday 9th May, when hopefully the weather will be warmer and less wet! Having suffered the cold north-easterly winds and rain over both days of the ranking weekend in Norwich, I have only just dried out all my stuff and don’t fancy another day in the rain!

As the MERMAID is coming up on the following weekend, on Sunday 13th May the committee decided that the morning of the ALE should be a gardening session to get ready for the weekend. The plan is to start at 10 o’clock and run seamlessly into the sailing at 2 o’clock. As it is a growing time of year the grass needs mowing and we need to make an attempt to cut other vegetation like the brambles with our ‘new’ brush cutter, loppers etc. If anyone has any free time in the morning we would be delighted to see you.

The Notice of Race for the MERMAID is available and shortly will have the MYA online entry set up. This event is not a ranking event and is for ordinary club members as well as those treating it as a tuning event by those going to the Worlds. You would be most welcome to come and spectate if you don’t want to sail as I’m sure there will be some good racing to watch. However, if you do want to sail PLEASE get your entry in early using the online entry system.

Although the weather conditions at the Whittlingham lake, Norwich were very unkind, the racing was good and the Guildford entry did well. It was A rig conditions on Saturday and I surprised myself to be vying for the lead with Brad Gibson and his all-conquering GRUNGE design in the seeding race and finished second with my UP. However, it was Peter’s UPFRONT that dominated the day to count six 1sts, a 2nd and a 3rd and beat Brad Gibson’s unbeaten six-year event record with his GRUNGE. This is very encouraging in view of the Worlds in Germany being only a month away.

There was more wind on Sunday and most used B rigs, with some using C rigs in some of the stronger and gusty winds. In the seeding race I was again seeded with Brad Gibson and am delighted to say that I beat him in a one-to-one racing situation. As this was the first race of the day it was filmed and so I hope to be able to show this when Norwich member Eric Curtis completes his editing. From then on, I went downhill and had a few technical problems, but Peter maintained his performance and came 2nd to Brad ahead of half a dozen well sailed GRUNGEs. Rob Vice was also doing well with some good placings with his UPROAR but had to leave early and he performed better than the results on the Marblehead website show.

Cheers, Roger