With forecasts of heavy rain, thunder and lightning at South Norwood Lake in the lead up, it was a great surprise when DO John’s WhatsApp message arrived first thing on Sunday morning to confirm that the that the inaugural Hartley Head-to-Head was going ahead, with twelve members turning up to take part on what thankfully turned out to be a dry and breezy, and capsize free (just!), day.
Organised into six teams of two, the teams completed three rounds of a round robin tournament, with each race consisting of two laps around a triangular (In-I-B-H) course, with the helm and crew swapping after the first lap. There were a number of standout moments, but the highlight (for spectators anyway) must surely have been when Geoff & Oliver almost beat John M and Rob in the last stretch of their race despite a disastrous start involving a detached boom.
The efficacy of the teams was born out by every sailor succeeding in winning at least one race! After 9 races three teams had won two races and three had one win, thus providing the perfect opportunity of two final race-offs using all three Hartleys, resulting in the following placings:
- Tony & Valeria
- Tim & Richard
- Rob & John M
- Andy & Neil
- Steve & Jackie
- Geoff & Oliver (with John M standing in for Geoff in last two races)
The best race time of the day was achieved by Andy &Neil in the final race-off, finishing the race in just 8 minutes 9 seconds.
We were honoured to have our Commodore present the winners cups to Tony & Valeria, and post-race chat indicated that it had been a successful event enjoyed by all, so it definitely looks like it’s going to be an annual fixture on the Sunday racing calendar.
So, a massive thank you to DO John and ADO Arthur for making our inaugural Hartley Head-to-Head such a fantastic success… Although perhaps we won’t let members choose their own partners next time 😉
Adapted for web from original race report by John. Images courtesy of Denis and Geoff.