Results / Gul Inland Championship Alton Water - 17/10/2015

GUL RS300 Inlands at Alton Water SC 17/18 October 2015

National poetry day was last week and I was inspired to have a go.  Sorry about that, but you will be pleased to learn that this will be my last attempt to be a published poet.

To the Inlands at Alton, to sail in a fleet

Inbreds from Wessex, from Norfolk webbed feet

Old Mikey Bees with his shoulder all knackered

And plenty of others with bodies all battered

Fruit pickers from Lincoln, likely lads from the East

A handful from Hampshire and last but not least

Two more, once again, from the country up North

Heading South to the sun for all they were worth.

But enough of such mirth and of stereotyping

What of the racing, the on-water fighting?

The keen ones came Friday for a night on the ale

You could tell who they were by their faces so pale

Messrs Clarke, Jones and Hopson had heads all an-aching

With Clarke going home instead of going racing

The wind was just right and never too hairy

The reaches were fun and the runs not too scary

And at the end of the day when all races were run

The top three were split by only point one.

So ahead of the Sunday all became clear

The title would go to who laid off of the beer.

Sunday morning arrived with scarce any wind

Mr Bolland was hoping the racing was binned

You might think me biased, I have an agenda

But my lead at the top was exceedingly slender

Say what you like, for that wind I’m too fat

You shouldn’t be made to go out in THAT!

But out we went anyway all in our yachts

And the wind was just rubbish, never more than eight knots

But at the end of the day it was probably right

That the overall winner was a chap called Sam Knight.

by Steve Bolland

RS300 Gul Inland Champion 2015 Sam Knight photographed by Richard le Mare.  Great sailing photos thanks to Ela Miller.

Results thanks to Pete Ellis.