With Burnham Week cancelled for 2020, the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club held a club regatta for members with free entry. Five Dragons arrived keen to race on Saturday 29 August; however, with a Covid related upper wind limit of 20 knots, AP over A was displayed we had to wait until Sunday to get underway. For some teams this was the first sail of the year so it was probably wise.

Whilst there was racing, and there are results with winners and losers, I think most competitors would agree that the spirit of this regatta was very much about coming together on the water, and socially where possible, in what has been an unusual year.

The regular Burnham Dragon helms of Wade, Marchant, Gray and Warner were joined by less regular Burnham fleet member Richard Davies, who called in crew Martin ‘Stavros’ Payne from Salcombe and Donald Milne from Scotland.

In total we raced four days out of seven, mostly using Ron Pipe/ Wallaseaness or Roach/ Redward courses. The stand out performer with three race wins, was ‘Avalanche’. Mark Wade had to balance the raw power and masculinity of Nigel Cole with a host of lady crews; wife Mandy for race 1 on Sunday, Carys Wilkes for races 2 and 3 and Katie Cole for race 4.

Ian Gray with Rene and Alex in ‘Still Crazy’ won the race that Mark Wade did not, and pipped Peter Marchant In ‘Beauty and the Beast’ with Noddy and Harriet/ Katie for second overall. In a sport where the team making the fewest mistakes usually wins, Marchant touched a mark, Gray was OCS, Warner (on ‘Dublin Bay’ with Kate, David/ Geoff) missed out a mark. We know of no mistakes from Wade.

Huge thanks to the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club for hosting an event in testing circumstances, for excellent socially distanced food and drink, for race management and for a launch service with volunteer drivers galore. Excellent images as usual from Roger Mant with a worryingly powerful telephoto lens – prepare to be ‘papped’!

Noddy