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This open meeting is also the culmination of the Craftinsure National Circuit and Travellers Series 2021 which takes in eight championships or open meetings up and down the country; on the sea, on rivers and estuaries, and on reservoirs and ponds. The series is a true test of all round sailing ability, not just a feat of persistence in obtaining diesel when none seemed available! This year, so far, 48 boats from 15 clubs have competed in one or more of these events. These are encouraging numbers in a post lockdown year where we have had to rebuild our confidence.

Wayfarers at Bough Beech – photo © Deborah Maynard

As we head into the final weekend’s action, the leaders of the National Circuit Series are Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend. They have won every event they have attended this year although they have regularly been pushed hard by Andrew Wilson and his various crew, and sporadically by others. The Travellers Series rewards those who travel most and perform well and this year the leaders going into the final event are Nigel and Belinda O’Donnell, who have fired up their four-wheeled-country-cottage and travelled to all parts of the country supporting virtually every event. Will they hold on for the overall win? We will have to see.

As well as the trophies and glassware to be won, the prize-giving at Bough Beech also takes in the annual end of season draw where sail numbers are drawn from a hat for fabulous prizes such as a year’s free insurance, a new genoa or a new top cover, all courtesy of our generous sponsors, Craftinsure, McNamara Sails and Hartley Boats. The more events a boat has attended the greater its chance of winning one of these prizes. You have to be “in it to win it”.

The forecast for this weekend is 10-18mph from the Northwest on Saturday and 12-22mph from the Northeast on Sunday. Sunday might be a bit damp! The first race on Saturday is scheduled for 1200.

Wayfarers at Bough Beech – photo © Deborah Maynard

Wayfarer Inland Championships at Datchet – photo © Rosie Dolling

Your correspondent often finds four races back to back quite hard work (walking seems to be difficult the following morning). Nevertheless, the fleet struggled manfully on in what turned out to be lovely sailing conditions, typically 10-15mph, enough to plane on the three sail reaches but not enough for serial capsizes. The results belied the closeness of the racing. Everybody had somebody to race against and the races were rarely processional. At the front, as usual, Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend were having a battle with Andrew Wilson, on this occasion crewed by Sue Rusbridger. Andrew and Sue led on occasions but Michael and Simon were always in front when it counted; at the finish of the race.

A little further back, David Roberts and Mike Bryant, Tim and Jacqueline Townsend, Nigel O’Donnell and Sam Pygall and Paul Hughes and Mark had close racing. Several of these had their moments near the front with Paul and Mark leading the first race for a time and the Townsends very close to the leading pair for a large part of race three. David and Mike had slightly the better day and were in third place overall at the end of the fourth race closely followed by the Townsends.

Saturday evening saw a trip to the Ostrich at Colnbrook for a meal and a few drinks. It was a convivial evening and was followed by a walk (for some) back to the hotel and sleep ready to resume battle the following day.

Wayfarer Inland Championships at Datchet – photo © Rosie Dolling

Sunday dawned and it was howling. The rain was very heavy too. We decamped to the clubhouse at Datchet and waited for the race officer to cast his judgement on whether we would sail again. At 0930 his prudent self-came to the fore and he announced that there would there would be no racing on Sunday. From the relative safety of the clubhouse it was easy to see just how windy it had become and during the briefing news came that some of the Wayfarers outside had been blown off their launching trolleys. A rescue party was sent to sort them out.

So the weather disrupted the racing schedule for the Wayfarers yet again (this has become a common state of affairs in 2021 with several racing days lost during the season). However, four good races around a triangle/sausage course were held on Saturday and I doubt the competitors felt shortchanged. The shifts and gusts around the course were enough to keep competitors on their mettle. Michael McNamara and Simon Townsend left Datchet Water SC as the Inland Champions 2021. Andrew and Sue were runners up and David and Mike completed the podium.

In the race to be the Craftinsure UKWA National Circuit and Travellers Series Champions the competition is hotting up. With just the Finale at Bough Beech in mid-November to come, the National Circuit Trophy winner seems fairly buttoned up but any one of several competitors could win the Travellers Trophy this year.

Many thanks to the race team at Datchet for their good management and course setting and to the Datchet Wayfarer fleet for their hospitality. The Wayfarers will be returning to Datchet Water SC next April for the inland Championships 2022.

Wayfarer Inland Championships at Datchet – photo © Rosie Dolling

This report including the results table is located on the Racing Results page (linked here).