Castle Cove Report

By Matt Aston

Castle Cove SC hosted the penultimate Contender event of 2012. A cracking forecast of wind and glorious sunshine blessed the fleet of 25.

Billed as the return of the prodigal son, the understated Highcliffe veteran and ex. National champ Gary Langdown donned his speed skins and trapeze harness for the first time since his class departure way back in July 2010 -  although it was a tight squeeze, as it looks like he’s eaten a few more pies in that time bulking up for Laser exploits.

Simon Mussell, always at a healthy fighting weight for breezy conditions, blasted the fleet away in the first 2 races held in 20kts and choppy conditions. Dan Taylor and Graham Scott barely hung on to his coat tail but did stay clear of the rest for safe 2^nd places each. Nick Grace, after dispatching Matt Aston, at the windward mark ran home 3^rd in first race and Stuart Jones took the final podium place in race 2.

Race 3 looked to be going a similar way as Mussell led at the top mark only for a momentary lack of concentration in his huge ego, to result in a dropped mainsheet followed swiftly by a boat on top of its helmsman. This let Scott and Aston through to tussle for the lead until the finish. These two gradually pulled away from the ensuing battle for 3^rd in which Grace fought hard to hold off a determined Taylor.

Generous overnight lodgings by family Grace with good old local pub nosh, lubricated with the regional beer left everyone cheerful if not a little shattered and battered from the day’s exploits on the water. Thankfully for many Sunday served up lighter conditions, with the pumping flag only making a brief appearance during the last race.

Race 4 and Jones finally found his top gear and led from the start. Langdown having put his borrowed boat back together again remembered how to tack and notched up a 3^rd just behind Mr consistent, Scott.

Roger White motored into a generous lead in race 5 and held on until the last lap when the fluky conditions got the better of him and notably Peter Dives, to let Scott and the now pumped up Langdown through for first and second. White and Dives held on for third and forth. This wrapped up the event for Scott with Jones and Mussell bombing out big style.

The final race saw no let up in the shifty conditions. Dives led Aston for the first half of the race. Dives not wanting a repeat of the previous race kept his cool leading for a round and half before Jones sailed in from the right in his own breeze making almost a dozen places in process, while what had been the leaders wallowed in the middle of the course. Jones took delight and could be heard choking on his own good fortune out on his trapeze for the reminder of race and to the finish! Dives and Mike Murley held off Scott and Aston for the remaining podium places.