Huntingdon Radio Yacht Club DF95 Bucket & Spade Cup
by Andy Start 4 May 22:47 NZST
3 May 2025
Club Away Day to Sheringham Boating Lake
The 3rd of May brought a classic Norfolk day to the annual Huntingdon Radio Yacht Club DF95 Bucket & Spade Cup, with sailors arriving around 9am to glorious sunshine and... well, not much else - especially not wind. The early races were gentle affairs in light airs, with only the sound of waves crashing on the beach breaking the calm.
Due to the small size of the lake we decided on a two fleet system, this kept numbers on the start line lower.
By mid-morning, the wind decided to make an appearance - in typical Norfolk style, blowing in from just about every direction!
It built up enough that many skippers had to shift down to B rigs, if they had them, bringing a new dynamic to the racing.
At this point our long lost Member Greg made an appearance, but had forgotten his boat!
A leisurely lunch was taken at 1pm with sailing resuming around 2pm. At the halfway point, Andy Johnson was already showing his form, sitting comfortably at the top of the leaderboard. Hayden had snuck into second place ahead of his dad, Ben W - causing more than a few sniggers from the younger sailor.
Ben W had a particularly memorable moment, becoming the (unfortunate?) recipient of a rare "hit-and-run" from a passing vane boat - surely a first in DF95 racing! Spirits remained high, and after racing, Steve B sweetened the day further by producing some well-earned cake for the group.
After 12 races, Andy Johnson retained his title from last year, with consistent top finishes earning him a total of 17 points. Hayden came in second with 22, narrowly edging out Ben W on 29. The close racing further down the fleet added to the enjoyment and camaraderie of the event.
A good fun day was had by all, with the usual unpredictable Norfolk breezes keeping skippers on their toes. Special thanks go to Andy J for setting the day up - a superbly run event and another great addition to the local DF95 calendar.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Sailor | R 1 | R 2 | R 3 | R 4 | R 5 | R 6 | R 7 | R 8 | R 9 | R 10 | R 11 | R 12 | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | 48 | Andy J | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 17 |
| 2 | 375 | Hayden | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 22 |
| 3 | 65 | Ben W | 1 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 29 |
| 4 | 204 | Stephen B | 4 | 10 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 32 |
| 5 | 370 | Alan C | 2 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
| 6 | 206 | Phil D | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 36 |
| 7 | 195 | Martin | 4 | 5 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 2 | 40 |
| 8 | 21 | Wiggles | 3 | 11 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 54 |
| 9 | 83 | Andy S | 5 | 7 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 62 |
| 10 | 37 | Dave P | 6 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 73 |
| 11 | 70 | Clive | 3 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 81 |