A Long Weekend to Remember

Ship's Dog

On the evening of Thursday 31st May, I took our tent down to the Club at Frampton and, after crewing for H in the beginners race that evening (she too a deserved third place over the line, possibly taking second from the Laser 2 ahead of us but loosing to a Solo, however both boats were crewed by coaches, so don't count!) I then pitched our tent and moved the family and dogs to Frampton for the long weekend.

Light winds and, at times, heavy rains, but there was no better place to be, even if our old [and now replaced] tent leaked like a sieve.

We worried how our dogs, Jazz and Lilly, would behave, their first time camping, and with so many other dogs, children and other sundrey distractions about. We needn't have, they were both magic, spent the time living in our pockets, long walks, fresh air, chasing sticks and swimming in the lake. Saturday morning, I even managed to introduce Jazz (the bigger of our two German Shepherds, and Lilly's mum) to Dad's Lugger and took her out for a light sail on the lake, with H's help. She absolutely loved it.

"Can I fetch? Can I? Please?"

Sailing-wise, we ran a three hour race on Saturday and a beginners race on Sunday, but the highlight was a two hour midnight race; the winds were inconsistant and the rains poured down thick and heavy, but it was an amazing and uniquely new experience for all of us land-locked, pond-hopping dinghy racers, only enhanced by the adversity of the weather and the good humour of all involved.

Though a close second for the position of "hightlight of the weekend" came on Monday, bright and sunny with a light breeze, when many of us had our first race of team racing in the Club Toppers.

That afternoon, Nikki and I took Jazz and Lilly for a long walk exploring Frampton Village and over down to the estuary along part of the Severn Way. In the evening we made supper out of an Indian takeaway with friends by the side of the lake.

Tuesday morning dawned bright and sunny, the tent dried out in time to get packed away, and then just as we loaded the last bag into the car, the heavens opened, the winds rose and the rains came down in an angry deluge, almost as if by appointment.

It feels like a lifetime ago now.

Monday Night Supper

"Night Fighters"