Larks in Weymouth

Emma Harris reports on this weekend's racing

25 Larks arrived at Weymouth SC on 6/7th September for the annual open
meeting to be greeted by bright sunshine and a fresh south-westerly breeze.

In race one Chris Jenkins and Ruth Johnson quickly found the front and held
their lead to the finish, holding off a strong challenge from Jon Fish and
Becky Marriott in 2nd. After a season-long break, Emma Harris, crewed by
Nigel Scott, was quickly back in the groove, taking 3rd.

With the wind building to a F5 for the 2nd race Jenkins/Johnson showed the
conditions were to their liking with another victory. Again they were chased
hard by Fish/Marriott and Harris/Scott, who finished in that order, to give
a top 3 that was a repeat of race 1.

With gale-force winds forecast, the fleet partied hard on Saturday night, so
it was with some surprise when the Larks awoke to only a light
south-westerly on Sunday morning.

In race 3 Alan Krailing & Gemma Thompson battled it out with, among others,
Richard Dowsett & Steph Calvin and Richard & Jenny Bennett in very shifty
conditions, eventually winning out in a drift for the line from
Fish/Marriott and the Bennetts in 3rd.

Race 4 was won by Steve Dunn & Pauline Baker who rounded the windward mark
first and went on to build an impressive lead by the finish.
Krailing/Thompson came through in 2nd after a tight battle with
Dowsett/Calvin in 3rd.

In race 5 Fish/Marriott lead around the first lap and looked likely to go on
and take the event. However, Krailing/Thompson and Dowsett/Calvin, again
involved in a close tussle, came through on the 2nd beat and went on to
finish 1st & 2nd respectively with Paul Gardner & Kate Sampson in 3rd.

Results
1 2464 Alan Krailing & Gemma Thompson
2 2264 Jon Fish & Becky Marriott
3 2311 Emma Harris & Nigel Scott
4 2379 Chris Jenkins & Ruth Johnson
5 2331 Richard Dowsett & Steph Calvin