With 18 teams signed up, the Reading 'Wet Dream' 2019 promised to be a good weekend. The Wet Dream still holds the name it was given 30+ years ago (or so we are told!) but has run consecutively for the last three years.
At 6.30am on Saturday 26th October, the Reading University Sailing Club members due to be helping at the event started the day with difficult weather for team racing. Unfortunately, with gusts exceeding 35 knots, racing was postponed until after England had won the Rugby World Cup semi-final. Around 11:00 the wind had died enough that the joint race officers, Peter Chaplain and Nigel Rolfe, called racing back on and, with cut-downs on the mast, 60 races were completed.
Sunday proved to be just as challenging as the day before in terms of organisation despite the conditions being the polar opposite to Saturday. With little wind, races were again delayed until the breeze began to fill in. Unfortunately this new wind soon died off and, due to its unreliability, the decision was taken to end the day’s racing after some drifting and waiting.
Cardiff Red were deemed to be victorious having kept a clean sheet throughout the weekend. With 66 races completed, despite the tricky conditions, everyone at Reading University Sailing Club would like to thank the helpers from Burghfield Sailing Club, the four wonderful umpires, race officers and all the teams who attended for making this years ‘Wet Dream’ a success!
