Greg Slakov Survives the 2026 Marathon.
The Marathon was held on July 25, 2026 and was intended to be held at the height of summer to enable old bodies to stay warm and perhaps supple. It is therefore curious that the CFL determined to hold the event on a cool, early spring day that happened to fall in late July. Having consulted his oracle, he then found he had an irreconcilable conflict and left his followers to confront the elements.
Six hardy souls or deluded old men showed up to sail on a Saturday morning that offered little to recommend it. Blustery, shifty winds complemented the unseasonal temperatures and the RC and the early arrivals determined that the majority would share the view that Poulston’s dock was beyond the ambition of the soon to assemble racers and a race within the harbour was more likely to support survival. One of the few good decisions made that day even if not fully democratically.
All 6 racers managed to rig their boat and get them in the water. A quick reach across the bay and near-death experiences getting back to the dock persuaded Matt and Chris that perhaps today was not the day for a marathon. That left 4 to start.
The RC (aka Bob Matthews and Judy Day) and their team (which now included Matt and Chris as well as Andrew in charge of the crash boat), began the start sequence with a flurry of horns, coloured paddles and the other paraphernalia collected by the RC. All was well until the 1-minute mark at which point Hart decided to join Tim in Tim’s boat. Not welcomed with open arms, Hart despaired and cast himself in the ocean. Having declined Hart’s advances. Tim collected himself and managed to cross the start line no more than 30 seconds after Greg and Steve. For his part, Hart righted his boat and set off after the others by now half way to the weather mark.
The RC watched the valiant struggle against the elements on display until all 4 had disappeared behind the breakwater. In due course, Greg and then Tim reappeared on high speed runs towards the green mark. Not long after Hart appeared, still well behind but gaining fast. Curiously Steve was nowhere to be seen.
After deciding it was unlikely that Steve thought the course involved heading for Poulston’s dock (recalling that he struggled to find it last year), a search party of Andrew, Chris and Matt set out to find him. Turns out he thought the CFL’s dock had been substituted for the Poulstons’ as his destination so rather than sail by it he had stopped his boat’s progress abruptly by turning it turtle no more than 50 yards from his destination. There he waited for the RC to arrive and record his finish. When Matt and Chris suggested the RC was unlikely to attend at the CFL’s dock, he was eventually persuaded to join them and Andrew in the crash boat as it towed his boat into the welcoming arms of Kim waiting for his arrival at the dock.
A spirited conversation on the delights of winter laser sailing was about to ensue when someone commented that 2 of the 3 remaining sailors were now approaching the finish line. Somone observed that where there should be 3 there were now only two. Having observed that Tim was missing, Andrew and Chris left Steve and his boat in the capable hands of Matt and Kim and set out in search of Tim. He was found half way between Clamshell Islet and the Club, like Steve, waiting for us (or so it appeared) with his capsized boat on its side to leeward of him. We naively thought he might be glad to see us but were met with a rather gruff “Not Yet!” as we approached. However, after some gentle prodding he allowed as how he might like his boat to be secured before it ended up on Clamshell Islet so after unwrapping the mainsheet that we had managed to wrap around our prop, got his boat secured and him on board the crash boat. It was made clear that we had not performed to the standard he expected of his Search and Rescue colleagues; but such is the fate of the rescuee as opposed to the rescuer.
Hart thought he had nipped Greg on the final beat but it was gently pointed out that he hadn’t managed to actually go through the start line after his capsize so there remained the potential for controversy. While Hart’s recovery was admirable, it does seem that leaping into other people’s boat should not be encouraged and that Greg should be rewarded for staying inside his own boat at least most of the time (he does admit to dumping more times that he could remember which is likely why Hart was able to catch him). Other bonus point awards for enjoying Guiness or others libations at lunch (there were none) or age allowances are beyond the ken of anyone other than the CFL
