Dragons in Burnham Week 1 Sep 2012

Over the Bank Holiday Weekend there were eleven entries and one long (two and a half hours) race each day in testing conditions, especially Saturday when it was gusting top of Force 6. We had a different winner each day, Nigel Cole in Tsunami, Martin Makey in Ganador and the Wades in Avalanche, in that order. None of them was consistent however, so the regatta was won by Mike Holmes with Tim and Teresa Wilkes in Hands Off, with a 2nd and two 3rds.

There was only one long race per day of the Midweek Regatta with between two and four boats. The weather conditions were better than at the weekend, except for an incredible rain squall on Thursday which had us all rapidly dropping our spinnakers – and getting soaked to the skin!

The Midweek series was won by David Andrassy, with Nick Hyde and Roy Roberts, on ..magic, after a very close deciding final race against Martyn Fogg, with Dave Hudson and Rosemary Archer, on Hat Trick. The overall week series, including the weekend, was won, after one discard, by ..magic, with Hat Trick 2nd and both were presented with big silver cups by the Mayor of Burnham.

The Final Saturday was a one-off race, for The Telegraph Cup with nine entries, in light and fluky winds and a spring tide, so it took over three hours! It was won by Ian Gray, with Rene Nel and Bob Tranter in Scorpio, followed by Peter Marchant, with Katie Cole and Luke in Beauty and The Beast, who, after a good lead for a long time, were overtaken on the last leg.

The social life was, as always, hectic and all our livers suffered. The highlights this year were the first Saturday dinner dance in yachting dress up top and shorts and wellies down below and the Dragon Dinner midweek when we enjoyed a menu of mussels or steak and chips in honour of the fact that in the past Burnham Week clashed with the Belgian Nationals.