Hardy Sea Dogs Brave Stormy Weather for Winter Time Trial at Rutland Sailing Club

Bracing against a 35-knot gust, nine audacious sailors engaged in a thrilling face-off in the Dart 15 Winter Time Trials at Rutland Sailing Club. The rescheduled event, originally washed away by Storm Darragh, saw these seasoned waveriders tussle with the tempest, even as other parts of the country buckled under the weather’s onslaught. Choosing to remain in the icy embrace of the sea over the warmth of their winter holidays, each sailor remained undaunted in the face of the impending storm.

The fleet, navigating towards the blustery start, was met with an expected hurdle in the form of a capsizing by sailer Charles Watson. His attempts at light humor, however, fell short when attributing the mishap to cleaning bird droppings off his boat. The sailors took off to a clean start post the incident. On the facing line, Jason Clarke and Jon Pearse lead, with the rest of the fleet in hot pursuit. The race under swirling conditions had begun. The fierce wind tutored the fleet in navigation, bending left as the seafarers progressed across the lake, pushing the majority to tack off midway through the crucial windward leg.