Conwy Fife One Design Ladies Race at Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
by Mike Hardie 21 Sep 22:36 AEST 12 September 2021
Conwy Fife Ladies Race © Ian Bradley 
Sadly because of illness, holidays and other such reasons, we had a rather depleted fleet competing for the Annual Ladies Race. A small (but select) fleet of four came to the line to compete for the Bradley Fife Model Trophy.
With a course of Nwy, Friars, Hwfa set, the fleet bimbled about trying to work out the best place to start in the strong Menai Bridge bound tide. 38, Dr Flic (once met never forgotten) & Mike led the fleet away from the distant marks and headed in the direction of Llanfairfechan, followed by 34, Mary, Alice and Jay, 29, with a rather ‘jaded’ (they had been to a rather good wedding the night before!) Emily, Trigger and Dan TSBTLYM, who was onboard to administer Alka Seltzer and care for his rather fragile parents, with 30, Dr Annika & Gavin making up the numbers at the back.
The long tack to Llanfairfechan gave the crew on board 34 (well Jay actually) the chance to teach Alice all the songs from the Lion King, this rather distracted Mary, who consequently overstood Friars in the excitement of it all, thus allowing 29 to move into 2nd place. As spinnakers went up as the fleet rounded Friars, 38 held a clear lead from 29, with the singing 34 next, 30 rounded last a position they managed to hold onto until the finish!
The second beat to Nwy and then Friars saw no changes to the order and although 29 and 34 closed on 38, Dr Flic rounded Hwfa with a clear lead, which she held to the finish, thus taking her maiden win in a Fife (Quite impressive considering it was the first time she had helmed, or so she said!) The race for second was won by 34, who had finished the Lion King concert, whilst onboard 29, both Trigger and Emily had lost the will to live and just wanted to lie down in a darkened room!
