Weymouth Regatta

Just returned from a highly entertaining weekend down in Weymouth.

Arrived first thing on Saturday to find the sort of conditions you would expect to find a worlds cancelled in. A good solid 23 knot average with peaks at 28 over the course of the day with a far bigger chop than I've seen in Portland before.
The Mothies collectively headed out to test the water to find a race committee trying their hardest to not get a start away, but after 3 postponements during the start sequence we finally got away. At this point however, only about half a dozen boats were still out trying to find their way around the course! I gave up after my first lap as I was close(ish) to the academy wall and didnt have too big a sail in. Big kudos to Mike Lennon, Jason Russel and Paul Hayden for being the only finishers!
We did the thing all Moth sailors should do when in Weymouth and it's too windy - get over to the cove and get some food and drink in. Alex and Sam found another pub with a skittle alley and we all threw ourselves into that with reckless abandon before calling it a night.
Sunday came and saw a changeable 5-15 knots throughout the races shifting around to the south over the course of the day, making the racing entertaining with some big gains and losses to be had.
Race one saw Adam May leading off the pin end followed by Alex Adams and myself. I pulled through by the top mark and stayed there, fending off a charge from Mike Lennon, until the last top mark when I kept foiling through a light patch and sailed off down the run leaving the rest of the fleet parked up.
Race two had Mike L leading the charge in the best breeze of the day, followed by myself and Adam. I snuck inside Mike down the run and held him off to the finish.
Race three went very strange, as again Adam foiled off the pin end and decided not to tack as the rest of us were parked up heading the other way with Andrew Friend leading the pack out right until he tacked and started coming back towards us again. We didn't see Adam again as he rounded ahead of the 600 fleet who started 5 minutes earlier and we all rounded behind the 18footers who started 5 minutes later... James Roche rounded in second followed by myself. Unfortunately for James he ended up high in no wind while I went low with plenty!
There was supposed to be another race, but the wind swung and dissapeared. so we packed it in and headed in for a cup of tea.

Final results are up on the WPNSA website

Ninja has been getting better everytime I go sailing so far. Currently got four boats to do for UK customers so plenty keeping me out of trouble before the mega road trip to Denmark...