Results / Arun YC - 31/07/2021

Congratulations to Steve and Sarah Cockerill for their untouchable winning streak of 6 bullets at the Rooster West Country Boat Repairs Southern Tour event hosted by Arun Yacht Club.

7 boats showed for the event which gave us a breezy Saturday with the rolling raves to play on, and a flatter, quieter day on Sunday which gradually built throughout.

Day One “12-14 knots” they say!

Most disagreed with the forecast once beyond the entrance of the river Arun, but great sea racing nonetheless! Steve and Sarah took charge of the fleet, with Sam and Emily 1285, Neil and Alan 1377 and Jack and Liam 1192 battling for the remaining podium spots. By the late stages of race one, the breeze had increased further, causing breakages, some rather impressive injuries concluding in an unexpected trip to Worthing A&E for one! Three boats subsequently retired, leaving four to see the last two races through in the challenging conditions.

After the return to dry land, windswept tales of the near misses and war wounds were shared before a few beers and a BBQ laid on by AYC.

Day Two

This was a lot more civilised than the previous, with a fairly light wind start for the first race which gradually increased throughout meaning that the tired legs from the day before had to be pulled out once more. Much like day one, Steve and Sarah showed the fleet how it’s done with another clean sweep, although there were moments that they were challenged early on in race 2&3. The lesser numbers allowed for some unexpected match racing manoeuvres behind the leaders, to hang on to position.

By the end of day two, Sam and Emily had just about pipped Neil and Alan to second place with muggins on report writing duties!!

Overall, despite the lack of entries, Arun Yacht Club hosted a great event. It’s been a good while since the fleet last visited the club, but the racing, facilities and social was great. Next time you see it in the calendar, make sure you don’t miss out.

Check out the great photos from sailpics here

Jack Munnelly