EU Grand Prix Round 1 - Lake Ammersee, Germany
Two British boats travelled to Lake Ammersee this weekend to take part in the first round of the 18ft Skiff European Grand Prix. ChameleonI and The Rutland Chandlery joined the 9 boat fleet on the huge race area the lake had to offer, set in dramatic surroundings at the foot of the Alps. The event was 3 days of racing in definite No1 rig conditions.
The first day started with a wait for the breeze to fill in, but when it did, the wind was as straight as an arrow, making the starts crucial. ChameleonI had a good first day and The Rutland Chandlery struggled to make inroads to the front runners.
The second day also started with a wait ashore for the wind to fill in. When the wind finally came in, a slight change in direction meant massive variations in wind strength and direction across the course. Both British boats managed to pull through to get a second place each. The wind did heat up to some fresh conditions in the third race which caught a few boats off guard and resulted in some swims in the 'refreshing' 6 degree water.
The final day's breeze came from a third direction, meaning all teams were fresh to the course for the one race of the day. A few gusts landing off shore at the top mark allowed a lot of snakes and ladders in the leaderboard, with the British teams maintaining their overall positions on the leaderboard.
ChamleonI were first British boat in 5th and The Rutland Chandlery finished 8th with both boats learning about their big rigs in low range conditions. A look across the results showed all boats had their flashes of brilliance, but the German boat of Magic Marine managed to string enough of them together to receive the first place prize. The event was incredibly welcoming and friendly and the British boats would like to thank The German 18ft Skiff class for running such a fantastic event.
The next event for the European fleet is Campione, Garda (13th to 16th May). Follow 'UK 18ft Skiff Grand Prix' on Facebook for updates of how the fleet get on.
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