"Parr for the Course" Another warm Essex welcome was extended to the B14 travellers last weekend.

Three hot teams arrived with bated breath. If there are going to be only three teams, you better make sure their kites coordinate and they did - beautifully!! Two teams fresh from the hotbed of the Plerin European Championships and one team from deep summer training in the Southern Hemisphere. The Barrier Reef can be pretty testing place for endurance skiff "reps".

Team 1: Al & Bazza in GBR766 HBR Consulting, (Rippling muscle and hair products)

Team 2: Nikki & Simon in GBR770 Harken (with all the best sailing hardware and a faithful guard dog to look after the investments)

& for once turning up before anyone else,

Team 3: Geraldino Fermor-Brown (no, don't laugh) and Leaky in GBR786 TORQ. (That's a fitness product available on the internet. Most of it being legal).

Once more the B14s took up the invitation to race at Thorpe Bay, though the rather late confirmation of the event had a drastic effect on the numbers actross all fleets.

Editor's Note: Day 1 didn't happen due to strong wind- the race officer took the readings and confirmed it was (well!) above the class rule limits. Crazy Boules happened, as well as much "socialising". The day 2 report was written by Mr Davis who may have been increasingly "tired and emotional" and received "help" from many others.

Day 2 at the B14 Europeans dawned with little expectation of sailing due to a forecast for an offshore force 6-7. However after Friday's lack of racing the RO was keen to get a race in, so the fleet launched into borderline conditions with the slight (misplaced) reassurance of a large wind shadow from the cliffs in the offshore breeze.