SHANGHAI, April 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Conditions didn't look promising for racing on Dianshan Lake with trees providing a perfect reflection on the water as the teams filed in for their race briefing. However the signs were a little more promising as they filed out with catspaws starting to stir on the water.
For the first time, and due to increased interest from bigger boat sailors the regatta was run on two courses at two clubs on Dianshan Lake, the keelboats which mustered a 15-boat fleet off Shanghai Island and the dinghies and multihulls which raced off Shanghai Yacht Club & Resort.
With a frontal system promised for later on in the day, Race Officer, Skinner, on the dinghy course decided to get people out on the water as early as possible to make the best of the conditions between the, almost breathless air at the start and what could be a near gale if the forecast proved correct.
The two constants were the incessant rain which only varied between a light drizzle and an almost tropical downpour at some stages in the afternoon and the spirit of the sailors which remained high the whole day's racing.
The wind varied from a whisper and even shut down completely on parts of the course to a solid breeze which proved too challenging for some of the crews who ended up capsizing and swimming.
An element of attrition meant that some boats didn't complete all three races with cold being a deciding factor for some as this early in the season the lake water is still cold.
Race Officer Skinner commented that he had delayed results before for an outstanding protest or computer problems but never because the results sheets were stuck together from being so wet and had to wait until they dried enough to prize them apart without them falling to pieces.
The eventual winners in the dinghies were Thomas & Richard in the Red Dragon 5.8 showing the consistent form of previous events with SBYC Commodore, Jim Smith in 2nd. In the multihulls it was a win for Jacob & Anna in the Weta, followed by Scott & Lars Hansen also in a Weta.
For 2015, let's hope all the water is under the boats rather than falling from the sky but the real victors of the day was the Pass Love Charity Foundation with, so far, in excess of 20,000RMB raised to further help with their work in providing school libraries for rural schools.
