D-Zero Open at Ogston Sailing Club

With an optimistic light to moderate forecast across the 'Halloween' weekend, seven boats attended, two home boats and five travellers from (sort of) all points of the English compass (is Herts east? it'll do).

A warm welcome from Ogston SC (and bacon rolls) kept spirits up despite the foggy gloom on Saturday morning. It's rare that all the forecasts get it quite so spectacularly wrong, it was supposed to be gusting 10 to 12 knots but, without enough wind to flutter a ghouls cloak, a postponement to Saturday afternoon was called.

Race 1 started with a weak breeze having just about cleared out the cobwebs. All seven boats ghosted across the line in good order. The light, shifty and fickle airs made racing somewhat random, the fleet seeming to split in two with 224 (Rohan), 328 (Tom) and 240 (James) well ahead most of the time, while the second half of the fleet swapped places up the beat and across the 'reaches' depending on who grasped a zephyr or floated into a hole. Someone cast a 'forgetful' spell on Liz and Zippy/333, kindly taking 344 (Mick) and 358 (Gordon) with them rather off course allowing 203 to float into fourth (mainly 'cos someone wrote the course down). By the last lap, and with a fading wind, the first three felt they had an unassailable lead and chilled with their feet up down the longish run to the leeward mark. Queue 'lucky' 203 (Chris), by some witchcraft, sailing up wind towards the three going 'downwind' and in doing so managing to overhaul James (spell cast: confused) to sneak an unexpected third, chuckling like a cheeky boggart, behind Rohan and Tom. With all across the line, racing stopped, mainly as the boats had.

The D-Zero fleet joined the OSC Halloween party on Saturday evening with much gusto (and beer), fancy dress and silly games, a handy second in the quiz and lots of smiles (and some more beer).

OSC kindly provided (more) bacon and added an earlier start on a gloriously sunny Sunday for the D-Zero fleet, with Race 2 starting in more light airs (weather jinxed by someone claiming gusts of 25 knots were due). Rohan, James and Tom shared the placings again, with the back half of the fleet still swapping places.

Race 3 notable mainly for an uncontested port flyer by Chris briefly taking the lead, before being 'hexed' in two holes in quick succession and so handing over to, well, everyone else. Places once again taken by James, Rohan and Tom (a pattern emerging). Lunchtime was called.

But this Halloween tale took an evil twist, as did poor Rohan's ankle. Spilled by kelpie as he came in to land, his ankle rolled and a nasty sprain took him out of the racing. With long trips and little extra wind expected, Tom and Liz chose to use their discard on the afternoon race and get an understandable early dart. Which was a shame as the wind picked up a bit...spooky how that happens.

Race 4, saw a diminished fleet of four contest the last race in a better wind (hiking was involved!). Gordon, intent on trying to push James off the line, didn't watch his own port side and was in turn pushed off by Chris. (both James and Gordon taking turns for just a shade of contact). This left Mick and Chris to battle up the first beat (we saw Liz in her van pause on the road, as we went up the first beat and waved - Zippy hid behind the wall I think?). This held for a lap or so, before both being overhauled by James who held on for a solid second silver bullet. Well done James.

Thanks heaps to the Ogston race team, safety crews and galley for looking after us so well over the weekend. We were unlucky with the weather but lucky in having a cracking club to sail at. Get well soon Rohan!

Overall Results: