Consistency and Camels: Wednesday Night Racing Returns
Published 16:20 on 30 Apr 2026
Wednesday night racing came round again, and for those watching from the shore, it felt like a carbon copy of the previous week. The atmosphere was set by an equally young and good-looking race team taking the helm of the committee boat. However, the youth on board faced an age-old dilemma: the indecisive wind. Torn between setting Overwater or Hunter as the windward mark, the committee mirrored the shifting breezes as they struggled to commit to a course.
Stratergy was the name of the gamespecifically for David Shilling and Toby. After both were caught OCS (On Course Side) in the first race last week, the pair decided that safety lay in numbers. Operating on the principle that two heads are better than one, they squeezed into the same boat. The gamble paid off handsomely, as the duo managed to nail two "banging" starts, keeping themselves firmly on the right side of the line this time around.
While the "two-in-a-boat" experiment unfolded, Ali and Gregthe undisputed daddies of the ILCA fleetengaged in a masterclass of match racing. The pair went toe-to-toe throughout the evening, remaining virtually inseparable. Their battle in race one was so clinical it came down to the wire, with less than a second separating them at the final hoot.
The fleet was further bolstered by the return of the Newcastle University Sailing Team in their Fireflies. Ben led the charge in the premier Firefly, notably accompanied by a very small, "invisible" crew. While perhaps lacking in physical weight, this phantom teammate proved an asset by significantly cutting down on the usual onboard chatter and the constant quoting of racing rules that often fills the cockpit.
With 23 boats out, it was another fantastic turnout, though the transition from winter hibernation wasn't seamless for everyone. A few vessels appeared to still be shaking off the cobwebs, with some spotted heading out at half-mast. Even the brand-new RS Venture, carrying Bosun Shaun, wasn't immune to the "early season" gremlins, suffering through a handful of technical issues.
As the sun began to dip, everyone came off the water in a great mood, but the evening was touched with a tinge of sadness. In the boat park, a small boat was spotted cocooned in its travelling cloaks, ready for a new chapter. With Nikki at the helm, the boat is set to head off to Port Norwick. While her presence will be missed on our Wednesday start lines, the whole fleet wishes her all the very best on her new horizons.
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Last updated 16:20 on 30 April 2026