TCL Scorpion National Championship 2024 at Castle Cove Sailing Club - Day 4

Greetings from the back of the fleet! Here's the latest update from the underdogs of the Scorpion Fleet, also known as the bronze fleet.

Delays and Postponements

The morning saw expectations of an early start with the potential for three races, but these hopes evaporated under the blazing Weybiza (Weymouth) sun. This gave us the opportunity to watch some of the Olympics, enjoy a swim and hold a lunchtime AGM where we heard about the impressive progress of the Scorpion Fleet as a class. A three-hour postponement took us to a 2 PM release and a 2:55 PM planned warning signal.

TCL Scorpion Nationals 2024 at Castle Cove Day 4 - photo © Lee Whitehead / www.photolounge.co.uk

Race 6 Recap

By the time racing commenced the wind was a light yet steady 5-6 knots, which for us means just a mild lean. From our vantage point at the back, it was a distant view of the leaders:

1. 2057 - Tom Gillard and Rach Gray
2. 2051 - Ollie Meadowcroft and Simon Forbes
3. 2062 - Sam Pascoe and Sam Barker

Unfortunately, the wind died right off resulting in Race 7 being postponed to Thursday (fingers crossed).

TCL Scorpion Nationals 2024 at Castle Cove Day 4 - photo © Lee Whitehead / www.photolounge.co.uk

Coaching

Once off the water and changed, we had yet another marvellous coaching session for the fleet from Adam Bowers, covering various hints and tips for light wind sailing, including roll tacks, with video demonstrations from Tom and Rach.

These sessions have been invaluable to us, and our improvements have largely been due to them and the help we've received from other more experienced sailors in the fleet who have been kind enough to take the time to look at our setup and help us make numerous modifications to Polycrooz.

TCL Scorpion Nationals 2024 at Castle Cove Day 4 - photo © Lee Whitehead / www.photolounge.co.uk

Post-Race Festivities

The real excitement began with the evening's games night. The competition was fierce, and the camaraderie even fiercer!

Despite her prowess on the water, Rachael Gray's team lost out on first place due to her balloon knot-tying abilities, much to everyone's surprise! And John Tailby (AKA King of String) lost against his opponent in the boat winding race, which also provided some giggles amongst friends.

Team 5 (Richard Haines, Zoe Grant, Janet Richie, Lauren Wills, Rob and Mandy Morsley) won overall due to their well-thought-out strategies, despite a couple of teammates struggling to stay on their feet, with Janet Richie facing minor injury!

Conclusion

While the racing part of the day had its ups and downs, the post-race activities highlighted the spirit of the fleet - competitive yet filled with camaraderie and fun. Here's to more days of great sailing and unforgettable nights!

Results after Day 4: