Unstable conditions

The Firefly fleet experienced light conditions at their open meeting in Chipstead

Chipstead produced the flukiest conditions experienced on the Firefly circuit this year. Three races were sailed in a light northerly breeze that made negotiating the infamous 'narrows' even harder than usual. The Fireflys also had to pick their way through the slower moving Enterprise fleet that started ten minutes earlier.

During the longer morning race there were numerous place changes, too many to recall. However, at the finish line, Nigel Wakefield and Emily Saunderson found themselves leading. Simon Spolton and Izzy Bretherton held back and timed there charge forwards to snatch second from Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield.

During the first race after lunch, Wakefield and Saunderson took an early lead until the last reach. Their lead would have been unassailable on any other piece of water but an unfortunate period of becalment allowed the rest of the fleet to overtake them on both sides. Spolton and Bretherton sneaked past to take the lead, Wakefield and Saunderson salvaged second and Tait and Wakefield took third.

The final race was a show-down for the overall honours between Wakefield and Saunderson and Spolton and Bretherton, both with a win and a second. Tait and Wakefield took the lead at the first mark, followed by omnipresent Wakefield and Saunderson. Spolton and Bretherton were struggling in the low teens but managed to pull through to eighth by the end of the race. Steve Greaves and Laura White finished third.

Results:

1-Nigel Wakefield and Emily Saunderson, 2
2-Simon Spolton and Isobel Bretherton, 3
3-Mark Tait and Sally Wakefield, 5
4-Steve Greaves and Laura White, 7
5-Dave Cheshire and Emma Pettitt, 9