ISO Gala - Bristol Corinthian SC (27th & 28th March 1999)
Fourteen ISOs descended on a windless Cheddar Reservoir at Axbridge near Bristol on the 27th and 28th of March. Saturdays racing was abandoned due to no wind. Sunday mornings again saw no wind, but the forecast was for it to increase to 20 mph. Race started on time at 10.30. First to the windward mark was the newcomers Team RWO sailed by Alistair Clarke and Pete Lindley, closely followed by British Airways FRSC piloted by Dave Giles and Richard Chadburn. Close racing throughout the race followed with eventual winners Mike Speller and Rob Burridge.
Race two again saw Speller & Burridge first with Dave Giles and Rich Chadburn second, third was PPP Healthcare sailed by Lucy Kennedy and Matt Haddon from Weirwood SC.
Race three and the wind had increased to a nice force 4, Dance Master Speller & Race Coach Burridge were first, with PPP Healthcare second and Team RWO third. The race officer, Ken Falcon then sent us in for dinner, where most people thought that was the end of the weekend’s racing, but Ken was up for running more races so, after asking round, six ISOs decided to have one more race in the now force 5-6 wind. The fleet made a clean start with 1186 reaching the windward mark first closely followed by Team RWO and Aylesford Newsprint. Two laps, the positions hadn't changed, with Speller & Burridge already having won the event retired to the shore. On the final lap, Giles & Chadburn had a bad hoist, but held on to the lead. Gary Smith and Lynn Whitmore from Eastbourne took advantage of a massive gust and shift to close and nearly overtake the first two boats, but were taken out by a Buzz. Meanwhile, Giles and Chadburn, who were still just in the lead, had an unfortunate disastrous drop at the last leeward mark, which allowed Team RWO through to win their first ever ISO race.