Shustoke Sailing Club hosted the Miracle Class End of Season Championship on 17th-18th October, treating competitors to a fine autumn weekend with a crisp northerly breeze, fresh at times in the gusts.
Shustoke's 100-acre reservoir runs west to east, so a northerly wind blowing straight across the lake was never going to make life easy. However, the challenging conditions produced five races of close, competitive sailing, with the fleet enjoying two races on Saturday and three on Sunday, alongside the club racing.
A small but select fleet assembled, with every boat boasting at least one national or area champion on board. Visitors travelled from Delph, Staunton Harold and Thornbury, making good use of Shustoke's convenient Midlands location. The fleet was unusually shy of the start lines, but once racing got under way there was no shortage of action. Gusts and shifting wind made the whole race-course a snakes-and-ladders affair, with frequent place changes. Reaching the windward mark in front was one thing; escaping the shoreline wind shadows and the fleet's blanket was quite another!
Local pairing Dave and Zara mastered the conditions best to claim the championship, with Wayne and Angela from Delph runners-up. Graham and Helen from Staunton Harold finished just two points further back in third. Hannah and Nick from Thornbury were fourth with Cole and Rachel/Harry rounding out the top five.
Off the water, the welcome was equally warm. Friday and Saturday night camping, a pleasant evening meal at the local pub and a busy galley all helped make the weekend. Dav kept everyone fuelled on Saturday, while Carol and Mylene took over on Sunday, serving bacon butties, sandwiches, soup and a tempting selection of homemade cakes.
Thanks go to Pete and Tim for excellent race management, giving up their own sailing all weekend to provide challenging courses and keep everything running to schedule. The safety crew and galley team also deserve a big thank-you, as these events simply wouldn't happen without them.
The championships concluded with prize-giving and, naturally, more cake to sustain visitors on their journeys home. A successful weekend of enjoyable racing and a fitting end to the Miracle open season!
Overall Results:
Pos Sail No Helm Crew Club R1 R2 R3 R4 R5 Pts
1st 3794 Dave Turtle Zara Frankton Shustoke SC ‑1 ‑1 1 1 1 3
2nd 4121 Wayne Atherton Angela Sweeney Delph SC ‑2 2 2 2 ‑3 6
3rd 4114 Graham Watts Helen Jacks Staunton Harold SC ‑4 ‑3 3 3 2 8
4th 4115 Hannah Smith Nick Smith Thornbury SC 3 ‑4 4 4 (DNC) 11
5th 4026 Cole Briscoe/Harry Marlow Shustoke SC ‑5 ‑5 5 5 4 14
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