The Mirror is the World's most popular double handed sailing dinghy, low in price, light, seaworthy and easy to sail, the Mirror quickly achieved its objectives. Probably responsible for introducing more people to the delights of sailing than any other design, some have even gone on to win Olympic medals, the latest being Paul Goodison taking Gold in China. The Mirror is a real proper little boat, with its deep 'sit-in' cockpit, that inspires confidence for sailors of all ages and abilities, easy to sail but a challenge to sail well.
Day 5 of the Gul Mirror Worlds, only one more race and the Cornish weather was a bit more like it with a moderate, but shifty wind and sunny intervals. The first attempt at getting Race 12 away failed when, with about 2 minutes to go, a large hole developed near the Committee Boat, and the wind picked up & shifted hard left at the pin end.
The cornish weather served up sunshine and, early on, showers with a strong, gusty westerly wind for Day 4. With only 3 races remaining, the Race Committee decided on two today, leaving one for tomorrow.
Race 10 got away cleanly under a 'P' flag and using a triangle-sausage-triangle course (harrah!). The strong gusty wind and a bit of a chop made for conditions that were less than comfortable for some in the fleet. The spinnaker reaches were very exciting and even some of the heavier crews who chose to fly spinnakers dropped places when they lost control in a mega-gust.
Some Mirror sailors, camped on the hill top at Tregunwith Farm reported that the worst of the storm appeared to have passed during the night with several tents blown away. So far from being cancalled, it was 'chocks away' at Restronguet SC for another three races in the Gul Mirror Worlds. The storm might have passed, but the mizzle hadn't and it rained all day, not stopping until evening.
Race 7 kicked off in a 3-4 south south westerly with a bit of swell and using a triangle-sausage-triangle course (harrah!). With the tide still flooding, and the windward mark up towards North Bank, judging the lay line to the windward mark proved tricky.
The wind started off a bit lighter for Day 2 of the Gul Mirror Worlds, force 2-3 from the southwest and with the tide coming towards the end of the flood. Race 4 was run using a triange-sausage course, with the windward mark near North Bank. Once again with bright sunshine & some breeze, competitors enjoyed some fantastic conditions in the Carrick Roads.
L-R Esme Shepherd & Max Phypers, Howard Leoto & Shane White, Simon & Tyson Barwood, Gavin & Oliver Cooke, Tom Cosier & Poppy Luxton.
Photo by Lee Whitehead and used with permission.
The Gul Mirror Worlds kicked off in a solid 3-4 from the south, the south west & the west, for the first hour the wind swung wildly as showers, clouds & clear skies rolled through. Evenually the wind settled into the south west, allowing IRO Jeff Martin and his team to set a windward - leeward course (yawn) and get the first race underway. The first attempt at a start ended in a general recall, but the fleet got away on the second attempt under a 'P' flag.
Racing on Day 3 of the Gul Mirror Nationals took place in a south westerly force 4-5 which backed to the south and got stronger as the day progressed, rain, and a forecast of worse to come later in the afternoon. Once again there were plenty of capsizes and gear failures to keep the patrol boats busy.
Racing on Day 2 of the Gul UK Nationals took place in a westerly force 4-5 with gusts and with plenty of capsizes and gear failures to keep the patrol boats busy. Once again it was Dave & Imogen Wade who took line honours in Race 4 with Richard & George Bullock 2nd, and Simon & Tyson Barwood 3rd.
Sailors arriving at Restronguet Sailing Club for the first day of the Gul UK Nationals found it was a bit mizzley, but after a short delay, the fleet launched and racing got under way in a solid 3-4 but with lots of lighter patches, sudden gusts and shifts which caused a few capsizes, lots of place changes and kept the Race Team busy. Racing on the windward-leeward course was held in the north end of the Carrick Roads and the ebbing spring tide caused a few some problems around the windward mark. The water was reported as 'quite warm' by those who capsized and 'quite shallow near the windward mark' by Steve Bland from Poole YC who capsized, got his mast stuck in the mud and bent it getting it out.