Ospreys at Tenby Regatta and Round Caldey Island Race

Tenby Sailing Club July 6^th & 7^th 2024

Osprey attendance at the Tenby Regatta and Caldey Island Race was adversely affected by a poor weather forecast and an unfortunate date clash with an Osprey event at Poole Yacht Club. Those that didn’t make it missed out as the nine Ospreys enjoyed a fabulous weekend of racing in strong winds and largely sunshine.

Three races were held on Saturday over a triangular course for the Tenby Regatta. The Ospreys formed part of the handicap fleet and in the strong but shifty offshore breeze they dominated the racing.

The fleet realised this was going to be quite a weekend as they witnessed “Pink Panther” setting off from the beach with Paul Bambridge having one foot inside the boat and the other somewhere underneath it and tangled with the tiller extension. This was clearly not the way to mount the boat but scored high marks for entertainment value.

In the first race some of the fancied teams tacked off onto port on a header only to sail into oblivion, while Terry Curtis & Peter Greig held on into a big lift and had a sizeable lead at the first mark. Local heroes Dave Griffiths & Maurice Clark pulled back some of the deficit, but it was a comfortable win for Terry and Peter. Newcomers to the fleet Simon Brewer and Alistair Ramsden sailing “Jennifer” 1276 for the first time unfortunately found that this was perhaps not the conditions to try a new, to them, boat for the first time and retired, while other teams had their moments on the high speed reaches and the shifty beats.

Terry & Peter found that a fitting had pulled out and returned to the beach leaving the coast clear for Dave & Maurice to win races two and three. While they had got their capsize out of the way on the way to the start, others were not so lucky. In race 2 Dan Jackson & Matt Goldwait capsized at the last gybe mark allowing Oscar Chess & David Downs to finish second. In race 3 Oscar & David having successfully negotiated the last gybe and untangled the tiller extension then capsized while trying to soak down to the finish.

It was a great days’ racing, Dave & Maurice taking first place in both the Osprey fleet and the handicap fleet. Dan & Matt finished level on points with Oscar & David, with the latter team picking up second place on countback while Dan & Matt were second in the handicap results. In third place were Robin Wood & Julian Cumpsty, a particularly light weight team showing that an Osprey can be sailed fast in strong winds by lighter people.

On Sunday in slightly less strong winds the Round Caldey Island Race was held. This was ideal for the Ospreys with the leading four boats having a great battle with much place changing. On the beat into Caldey Sound two boats went to the mainland side looking for more tide while the other two stuck to the island shore. All four rounded St Margaret’s Island in close company. There then followed a high speed two sail reach to West Beacon Point and then spinnakers to Chapel Point. After rounding Caldey Point there was a two and a half mile three sail reach back to the finish line near St Catherine’s Island. This reach with the boats going at full chat will live long in the memory of those who participated. At the finish line Oscar & David crossed less than a boat length ahead of Terry & Peter with Dan & Matt and Dave & Maurice close behind.

The Osprey Class would like to thank Tenby Sailing Club for hosting this excellent weekend.

Regatta results:-