The Cheeseboard 13 Aug 2013
On the day there was a very light, shifting south westerly breeze with occasional rumbles of thunder. Three Squib crews turned up to race the Rice and Cole Cheeseboard: Mark and Andy Knights in Seabright, Phil and Eddie Aspinall in Guy Fawkes and Noel Sutcliffe and John Torrance in Entente Cordiale.
Bruce Burnett, assisted by Richard Cosens providing the race management team, set a short course in front of the clubhouse based on ship buoys 5 and 7 and two markers just off the paint raft and the Royal Burnham pontoon to make an approximate square.
Phil Aspinall found himself the wrong side of the line and down tide at the start and had to claw his way back to achieve the line leaving the other two boats to find their way through the moorings in very light wind. The race was shortened to finish at the Corinthian with John, helming, almost running Entente Cordiale up the ramp to get across the line just ahead of Mark in Seabright.
Everyone made the start for the second race, with a run down to 5 under spinnaker. Phil, leading, sailed further up towards the Royal Burnham to allow for the tide before crossing over to 7 while John, taking the risk of turning to cross the river at the mark, was fortunate in gaining sufficient headers to reach 7 before Phil and Eddie. Second time around John went further up the bank while Phil turned at the mark to head for 7 but unfortunately a 90 degree wind shift meant he had to tack back up river to Buoy 7 putting him further back. The positions remained unchanged for the final third lap with Entente Cordiale in first place, Guy Fawkes second and Seabright third.
The last race saw a slightly stronger wind with an exciting close race through the moorings. Nevertheless, the positions of the boats remained unchanged with Entente Cordiale in first place, Guy Fawkes in second and Seabright in third.
Interestingly, John kept the main sheet dead centre in the track all the time and having set the barber haulers didn’t adjust them at all during the race.He says that he likes to concentrate on the racing and not fiddling with the adjustments.