Farmoor 5 Sep - challenging!

Seven sailors pitched up to a very gloomy and deceptively calm looking Farmoor hoping for a good days racing. The weather forecast was for a NNE wind steadily building from 11ish with plenty of lubrication from above. This proved to be reasonably accurate although the strength and gustiness of the winds was not really anticipated nor was the thunder and lightning in the afternoon.

In the end Joe set a box course in the SW corner of the lake and the first race went off OK with Nick in the lead and all sailors completing the 2 laps planned. The second race of 3 laps also started OK but by now some pretty big gust and rain were making things tricky with. Not all finished the 3 laps but we all made it safely back for lunch.

Nick Rose and Joe opted not start after lunch but the first race was started in increasingly strong gusts. Most had to abandon but Martin Brooks managed to hang on for a well deserved win. Those who completed one lap got a finish.

Shortly after we came ashore it got very dark and then thunder and lightning ensued - a lucky escape. Several dinghys were blown from the beach across the lake - one is just visible over Simon's left shoulder in the pic below.