Mid-Thames Trophy at Littleton SC - Alex Seaman
Saturday
29th April, the day of the Mid Thames Trophy started well. Lightweight
crew (28lbs and been sailing since Summer 2003) was up and bouncing
around at a decidedly uncivilised hour unlike her brother who was still
down with chickenpox.
Richard Cannon having appealed for volunteers earlier in
the week, things moved more rapidly than normal on the Saturday morning
in two households not far from Littleton S.C.
Before too long the one-time crew of ST 654 (anybody
remember the ST Nationals at Parkstone in 1993?) arrived with his
daughter, lightweight crew's friend Fiona.
Armed with lunch and the chickenpox sufferer's life
jacket (plus a fishing net and jam jar) a car-load arrived at Littleton
to find that Richard was well into his time-honoured routine and
putting in a very good performance in the first race.
Completing the race in some style Richard's crew, Peter
Carpenter volunteered to take a turn ashore and lightweight crew
slotted herself back into the front of ST368, was reminded that she had
already crewed in the boat and sent out for her first race.
Dad
retreated to a safe distance with one eye on the racing whilst the
fishing net and jam jar were deployed by Fiona to the consternation of
the local invertebrates.
After the allotted time ST 368 completed the course,
"only" 9th out of some 48 entrants. Lightweight crew had apparently
chatted all the way round so perhaps Richard had been a little
distracted...
Over lunch, with Richard ashore, ST 368 was back on
the water with Dad taking lightweight crew's friend out for her first
sail in the sunshine and a pleasant 2-3, enough to bring smiles
to the faces at both ends of the boat.
For the third race Richard was rejoined by Peter and
the two girls were unleashed with the fishing net and jam jar around
the edge of the lake, to the surprise of at least one local angler. Not
sure how the racing went but two Dads had a lot of fun with two
daughters paddling about, examining just about anything that moved (and
quite a few things that didn't) in the warm clear shallow water on a
beautiful sunny afternoon.
And the feedback on the sailing, was it enjoyed?
Lightweight crew expressed a desire to sail with her father next time -
now to persuade her to repeat that in earshot of her Mother! We're
still noncommittal on whether we really enjoy racing but plenty of time
for that later.
For now thank you very much indeed Richard and Peter
Carpenter for the invitation and Littleton for the venue. Thanks also
to the other Aquarius members (Graham Thompson and Rodger Wheeler in
Graduate 2455, Nigel Knowles in Laser 35434 and Bryan Clements in
Topper 20980) for taking part.
Now how do we explain to the back seat that
Starboard isn't an appropriate call when heading West on the M4 and
another car approaches a little rapidly?
