A mass start for the 29 boats taking part in the Acorn Trophy race was a sight to behold, and the 707 who was over the line added a bit of theatre to the spectators lined up on the seawall and on the balcony. With a southerly breeze the course was always going to be a compromise and allowed the two Blazes of Charlie Matthews (hoping for the double) and Ollie Mears (who stepped into a Blaze for the first time about 45 minutes before the start, courtesy of Nic Tolhurst) to stretch out a lead which also translated into a handicap win too, though Beauty and the Beast, Guy Fawkes, Avalanche and Still Crazy had a much closer race ending up separated by a mere 15 seconds.  Once again, Florence Fisher was helming Coralie in confident style, though Martin Makey and Steve Rands managed to sneak ahead on this occasion.  It was also great to see the 707s being sailed by a substantial Otter contingent, and hopefully we’ll see more of them out on the water later in the year.

At the end, Ollie Mears hung on after a late surge my Charlie Matthews, thus emulating his father Jamie by being presented with the winners trophy by HRH The Princess Royal, who had won the Otters in Squibs trophy the last time she visited the club.