A round of the British Federation Land Sand Yacht Club Championships hosted by the Brean Land Yacht Club, Somerset, South-West England SATURDAY and SUNDAY, MARCH 13 and 14, 2004 With Cruft's Dog Show at the NEC causing a 30-minute delay on the M42 a different route was needed from Mablethorpe on the east coast to Brean, Somerset. With the new dual carriageway from Lincoln, it was the A46 all the way to Evesham and pick up the M5 for the final 90 minutes. With a high pressure ready to settle on the UK I thought it might be a windless regatta, but Saturday morning had a healthy onshore wind almost square on to the beach, with a fairly high tide slowly going out it left a wet beach. The course was the usual two marks on the beach sailing anti clockwise. Race 1 was from the grid up to the Brean down mark then back up the wet rippled beach drifting higher up the beach to find the drier and smoother beach then head out for the Berrow mark to make a wide downwind turn, then back along the hard dry sand past the pits to the Brean down turn. For K800 Saturday was a busy day, race 1, I was in the lead when the strop holding up the sail up broke on the last lap, think I came in fifth. Race 2 went almost without a hitch until the last lap when I hit a plastic bag that created a hole in the beach. Hitting it at 50mph bent the stub axle mounting on the wooden axle. I came in 1st anyway. The stub axle looked bent but seemed solid but Race 3 proved other wise the wind had picked up top a moderate breeze, the tracking must have been out as I was passed by other yachts and I came in fifth. Without a spare axle, Derek "Degsi" Nixon offered his spare axle, with the wind too strong to sail it gave me time to fit it. A couple of holes drilled in yacht body had it fitted. We gave up on the wind and the beach at pm. Saturday night was at "Flamin' Joes" just opposite Pontins. We walked into the tail end of a wedding, fortunately they went and we have a nice evening meal washed down with some beer, the bar closed at 11pm but we found and interesting karaoke bar across the road. Sunday started nice and sunny with a nice onshore wind slightly more northerly, the beach had a 12-metre tide on it so the beach was wet and rippled, apart from a thin smooth dryish bit above the high tide mark. With the marks set out in the same place, it was a similar course, if not wetter, than Saturday. I had a "coming together" on the start line with Richard Austin which put us at the back of the pack. I made up the places to get behind the leading yacht of Steve Borrill. Only on the last lap was I able to get past Steve's dirty wind, managing to pull up near the rear quarter of his yacht, but Steve got it on the line. Race 5 was interesting as the wind shifted 20 degrees to the north within a few seconds. I was in the lead right on top of the Brean down mark. A quick tack round the mark and then again to get past the scoring line and I was away down the beach. The rest of the pack were not so lucky. The wind change created a hole in the air around the turn mark area, they all sailed into it and the fleet dribbled to a stop. We now waited for the wind to fill in a little more. Sailing Master Len Warren moved the mark to the scoring line outside the clubhouse. The starting grid was moved also. As you do when dealing with the wind, we waited and waited. Finally it was thought there was enough breeze so out we went on to the grid. The flag dropped and, bother... we made it round the first mark only to dribble to a stop downwind. It was the waiting game again sitting around some more before being encouraged back on the grid. The flag dropped again, this time one tack had us dribble to a stop and so the remainder of the racing was called off. A quick pack up and a cup of tea, pay the bill for the food provided by the team in the clubhouse and the presentation of the prizes had us on the way home. I hope that someone will provide the Class 5 report. Gareth Rowland K800   IMAGES from GARETH ROWLAND Click on photo for larger image - may take a moment to load. Looking down on to the Brean beach. Some of the beach crew. Just what ws that smell behind the clubhouse...? Young Spears soaking up the sun. Bill Easterbrook trying out a Class 3. The space is tighter than the Spitfires Bill flew! When it was too windy K800 went rock hopping. Bill Easterbrook offering the prizes if not a knighthood. The force behind the landsailors - the Brean tea ladies.   [  b a c k   t o   t h e   t o p   o f   t h e   p a g e  ] BREAN LAND YACHT CLUB WEB SITE BACK TO THE LINCOLNSHIRE LYC OPENING PAGE and CONTENTS