West Lancs 24Hour Race 2011

Our team sailed in some very testing conditions last weekend at the 45th West Lancs Yacht Club 24 Hour race. The team consisted of Andy Green, Brogan Griffiths, Andy Price, Dave Hawkes, Kaye Tickle, Laura Barnes, Chester Candish, John Wingeatt, Ashley Southwell, Ken Irwin, Chris Wheeler, Mike Baldwin, Tony Hardwick, Wayne Atherton, Mark Atherton, Ali Humphries, Megan Griffiths and Jenny Cant. The day was full of events with the team suffering several capsizes, a couple of collisions with port tack boats during the dark hours and a couple of  gear failures, one resulting in Andy G nearly losing Brogan over the side with a broken toe-strap adjuster and the other stranding Megan and Ashley over the far side of the lake for over an hour without a tiller. This last episode lost the team well over an hour, dropping us about 15 places at one point. The team fought back, gaining several places over the remaining hours of the race, bringing the boat finally in 41st position. Well done to everyone who sailed in conditions ranging from a steady 5 knots to 15knots, gusting 30 knots.

View the photos at https://picasaweb.google.com/104536170099821426208/24Hour2011?authkey=Gv1sRgCPSIvviG4a_B7gE#

View a great video clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmv64JDK-cM&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL