Our final event for 2003 was organised as a ‘treasure hunt’ style race and family BBQ picnic - a chance for all the family to participate in the run up to Christmas.
Our final event for 2003 was organised as a ‘treasure hunt’ style race and family BBQ picnic - a chance for all the family to participate in the run up to Christmas.
The idea was for the boats to locate eight numbered marks in the local area, in any order, whilst simultaneously answering a series of cryptic clues. The answers to the clues could then be combined with the eight key numbers to obtain a Prize Word. Having solved the Prize Word, the boats could finish back at the marina and join the party on the marina headland. Clear as mud?
Well, all went swimmingly, right up to the point when the wind died about an hour into the race - this after a week of strong monsoon and with forecasts of more to come! Given the aim of joining the families for the BBQ picnic, it proved necessary to let the boats complete the course under engine - if they had one! Two boats didn’t, so Ross & Alice retired gracefully in their dinghy, whilst Klementine patiently worked up a thirst and finished the course in 3:11 - an excellent effort, worthy of their prize of the Rear End Trophy (Finere est Omnus - to finish is everything) and a case of beer.
Of the other boats, three needed to open the non-cryptic clues, thus incurring a 10% penalty. So on corrected time the first four boats had to be separated by the number of incorrect answers, as follows:
| Place | Boat | DBPN | Start | Finish | Penalties | Incorrect Questions | Corrected Finish | | 1 | Sea Eagle | 830 | 10:54 | 13:14 | x | 2 | 13:14 | | 2 | DB Doo | 1150 | 10:06 | 13:15 | x | 4 | 13:15 | | 3 | Cooinda | 980 | 10:32 | 13:14 | x | 5 | 13:14 | | 4 | Yellow Bolero | 1150 | 10:06 | 13:14 | x | 9 | 13:14 | | 5 | Arconia | 1075 | 10:17 | 13:12 | +18 | 3 | 13:30 | | 6 | Wizard | 800 | 10:59 | 13:43 | x | 4 | 13:43 | | 7 | Glyndwr | 980 | 10:32 | 13:30 | +18 | 2 | 13:48 | | 8 | Seas the Moment | 850 | 10:51 | 13:38 | +16 | 0 | 13:54 | | 9 | Roger the Cat | 945 | 10:37 | 13:34 | +30 | 1 | 14:04 | | 10 | Klementine | 680 | 11:17 | 14:28 | x | 5 | 14:28 | | 11 | Birria’s dinghy | 1000 | 10:29 | DNF | x | x | x | | 12 | Rigel | 1190 | 10:00 | DNS | x | x | x | |
Click here for the answers to the cryptic clues. The Prize Word did stick with the nautical theme, by the way. ‘SURPRISE’ referred to the true heroine of Patrick O’Brian‘s novels, HMS Surprise, as featured in ‘Master and Commander’, the book awarded as first prize to Sea Eagle and now released on film.
Thanks are due to the event’s primary sponsors, the DB Marina Club for providing the bulk of the prizes and setting up on the headland. Also to the usual team of support personnel, headed by Race Officer Andy Kung, Sue Thornton as Shore Boss and Sue Fernie for the kiddies Treasure Hunt.
That’s it for this year. I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s series of DBYC events and we look forward to seeing you on the water when we start afresh in the Spring with the Tsing Ma Regatta.
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