The 2009 Supernova travellers series kicked off as is becoming err "the norm" at South Cerney sailing club near Swindon or Cirencester if you wish. This year the conditions were, for a change, non-extreme but still challenging enough, gusty and shifty in a direction that made launching and landing interesting. Twenty-one boats turned up, lots of old faces, some new, some new boats and new sails - a good mix and good to meet up again with old friends.

All races started in the pinch in the lake which meant some weird conditions. In race one the line bias seemed to change and those readying to start at the pin end found themselves with too much time and not enough line. Winter's champ Cliff Milliner along with Barry Buzzard got too good a start and back they went. The beats were very shifty and patchy with no apparent pattern. At some stage in this report the words "storming" and "Norman" are going to have to be used in close proximity and this seems as good a point as any as Norman Halstead, 2006 Supernova National champ, Albacore glitterati and local hotshot stormed away with some jaw-dropping boat speed to not quite disappear over the horizon and win comfortably.

Elsewhere in the fleet the wind was at times stronger than some expected and the rescue boat was scurrying around the lake. Paul Undrell took a flyer to the far left of the lake up one of the beats and climbed right through the fleet to the podium positions only to take a severe tea-bagging. It was that sort of day.

After lunch it was time to do battle with the launching again for two back to back races. Race 2 was a weird one with if anything the wind less shifty but more patchy. At some stage a huge gap of at times almost 3 legs of the course opened up between a leading bunch of about 8 boats and the chasing peloton. Within the two packs there were some tight scraps - it was two fleet racing. Clff Milliner pipped Norman Halstead, with RichardPakes in third. Paul Undrell showed the benefits of staying in the boat to finish 4th.

A good cobweb blowing out day that most people managed to cope with very well. Great organisation by South Cerney as always and a well deserved win by Norman Halstead.

Report By Barry Winter

(Please note that following the sad events that followed at South Cerney on the following day I have not felt it appropriate to publish this report to Y&Y)

Full results here

Gallery here