“You must have a hot line to someone above,” commented the sailor from Itchenor Sailing Club who returned thanks on behalf of the visitors at Chichester Yacht Club’s Annual Regatta last Sunday. The weather was perfect: brilliant sunshine and a pleasant south-westerly breeze, which brought out a good entry of between 70 and 80 boats, which included the customary contingent of the keelboat classes – Swallows, Sunbeams and X One-designs – on their annual visit to the upper waters of the harbour over the weekend.

The race management was in the expert and experienced hands of John and Pamela Miles, Tony Mobbs, and John and Yvonne Yeoman on board the Yeoman’s yacht Thumper, and Colin Smith and Biddy Colbourne in the Club launch Cyclone. The former team started the larger dinghies on their long course down the harbour and back, and finished them and the keelboats, while the latter provided the Slow Handicap, Toppers, Mirrors and Optimists with two races each over courses within the confines of the Chichester Lake.

Beside the two regattas, the two days were also the “Get Afloat Weekend” organised by the “Big Blue,” the Marine Industry-sponsored organisation which is responsible for both the January Earls Court and September Southampton Boat Shows. A CYC representative was available to give advice about opportunities at the club for being initiated into sailing, and had several serious enquiries. Besides this, the visitors on their motorboat trips were treated on both days to the spectacle of the keelboats sailing up the channel, and at the CYC Regatta this was enhanced by their multi-coloured spinnakers which they doused as they reached the turning mark and came on the wind to beat back to the committee boat and the satisfying blast of the finishing hooters.

The most encouraging aspect of this year’s regatta was the high proportion of competitors who were children and teenagers, in the Optimist, Topper and Mirror classes, not only from the club’s own initiatives in this area of activity, but also among the visitors from other Harbour Clubs. A group of experienced sailors have devoted their time, at some sacrifice to their own sailing, to encourage these youngsters, and the results were on display on the water.

Overall Results

Swallows

1st. No 74, James Vernon

2nd. No 86, Jim Jerwood

3rd. No 89 John Glover-Wylie

Sunbeams

1st. No. 26, Roger Wickens

2nd. No. 31, Mike Law

3rd. No. 33, Anthony Robinson

X One Designs:

1st. No. 158, Mark Powell

2nd. No. 171, Neil Hart

3rd. No. 181, Tom Tait

RS400

1st. John and Pauline Cox (CYC)

RS200

1st Simon Hempsall and Ian Norman (Itchenor SC)

Lasers

1st. Chris Treagust (Emsworth SC)

2nd. Neil Haworth (CYC)

Solos

1st. Derek Jackman (CYC)

2nd Ron Green (CYC)

3rd Steve Kerr (CYC)

Toppers

1st Susie Hunnery (Dell Quay SC)

2nd Richard Clare (CYC)

3rd Tom Dynes (DQSC)

Mirrors

1st Linda and Tamsin Kelsall (CYC)

2nd Ben and Josh Roberts (Itchenor SC)

3rd Mark Strucket (Itchenor SC)

Optimists

1st Oliver Sloper (CYC)

2nd Charles Crane (Itchenor SC)

3rd equal Nick Robson

3rd equal James Ponsford (CYC)

Fast Handicap

1st. John and Tom Smithers (Buzz) (Itchenor SC)

Medium Handicap

1st. Geoff Miles (Finn) (CYC)

2nd Steve and Annette Wilson (Albacore) (CYC)

3rd Ian Barnett (SuperNova) (CYC)

4th Neil and Sue Morton (Albacore) (CYC)

Slow Handicap

1st Tim and Daniel Orton (Miracle) (CYC)