Two Rivers Race

The Two Rivers race is normally either from Suffolk Yacht Harbour to Wrabness or from Wrabness to Pin Mill but because we wanted to be in Maldon to celebrate the founding, we are having it from Osea to Brightlingsea. All week we have been taking it in turns to be skipper and this is my second race, following the Seaways race. Alison has had more difficulties in hers, the Pennyhole Bay race when we retired and the Ladies Helm where neither of us were at our best.

It is a self-timed start and finish, but those of us in Heybridge Basin, can't start until about an hour before high water.

We spend a lazy, windless morning. I'm reading a novel, something very rare for me these days, and its nice to have some time. We walk along the sea wall to Herrings Point and back and have a lazy picnic in the shade. Often, at this point in the week I have lots of boat maintenance to do, but this year, all seems well, so far.

Once through the lock, there is wind and we sail to Osea where it dies. It is so hot that we put the ensign up and the motor on, just to get some air moving over the boat. As we turn the corner we come out of the wind shadow and hurriedly turn the engine off again and take the ensign down before we pass the pier, which is the race start.

The wind gets better and better. We have to beat a little to keep the right side of Thirslet but from then on it is a lovely reach out past the power station.


Daisy

Daisy, Steve Pegley's surprisingly fast little Hillyard comes out of Goldhanger Creek and we 'race' her for a while - she is reefed and not racing of course, having missed the start line, but its a lovely experience and Robinetta hits 7.1 knots SOG at one point - possibly the fastest we have ever been in her. Daisy's reefing line gets loose and Steve has to heave to and fix it. We manage to keep a good line but not quite good enough to round Inner Bench Head and head into the tidal stream of the Colne to help us out to it where Vlieter passes us. Once round it and running into the Colne Cygnet of London catches and passes us, Simon call out that he is determined to catch and pass Vlieter. He doesn't manage it.

We pass Bateman's tower and I text our elapsed time in, late, but it is accepted and we are 5th. Our best result so far.

Alison will have to watch out. I might be getting the hang of this.