Eight Boats Took Advantage of a Slight Break in This Week S Windy and Wet Weather and Were

Wednesday evening race 7 June 2017

Race Report

Eight boats took advantage of a slight break in this week’s windy and wet weather and were rewarded by a good race around the buoys in Gillingham reach in quite windy conditions gusting around 23 mph at times.

The south westerly wind created an opportunity to fly spinnakers from the start line with the Arcona Full Tilt getting their spinnaker up (or nearly up-about 3 metres off full hoist for some of “Heart Break” Reach but it had the required effect getting them to the first bend in clear air. Spinnakers were used by others but with group bunching up towards the south shore they were unable to get the same clear air effect and Valkyrie and Sea Horse who hadn’t set their spinnakers but stayed further over on the north shore found themselves in a good place at the end of the first reach.

Turning towards buoy 30 the wind altered and at times became a close reach when initially it looked at though the brave crews would hold their kites and then be away quickly on the reach from buoy 30. A fairly gentle luff from Mr Chips put pay to Reefer’s attempt to pass to windward, Reefer with spinnaker up and Mr Chips with No 1 genoa meant this was inevitable. Reefer slipped back into the fleet at this stage.

Mr Chips, Zephyros and Sea Horse has a good tussle just behind Valkyrie with Full Tilt using her longer length and getting clean away. Very impressive to see Ian in Sea Horse sailing quickly and in full control with a number of gybes around the marks and being up with two quick boats and Ian was sailing on his own. Well done Ian-there’s a bottle for your efforts to be collected when we next see you.

The fairly short race and good breeze enabled all the fleet to be finished shortly after 8pm just as it started to spit with rain again. Full Tilt were awarded the win despite rounding buoy 27 the wrong way- apparently they were give the course over the radio with a starboard rounding-a good story in the bar afterwards. Good to see Mr Chips having a race without incident and coming second-they have some tales to tell about events in the first two races.

There was just 1 One Design entrant this week, Sonata Red Dwarf who perhaps decided not to set their spinnaker as there were no others to race this week but of course won in their class.

Also I’d like to mention Tender Touch who are regular Wednesday eve racers and who were in the mix all the way round this week with their spinnaker being hoisted whenever there was a sniff of being able to set it.

The weather this week may have put a few crews off so let’s hope for a more settled weather next week and more on the start line next week. We may have some Dutch visitors taking part next week so let’s get a good MYC contingent and perhaps a Brits verses the Dutch team race next Wednesday.

A bit remise of me, but I didn’t wright a report on the previous weeks race. Suffice to say we had 15 boats out and enjoyed a glorious sail in the sunshine with light winds.

Thanks to Roger Bishop who kindly mans the start line for us every week and quickly gets the results worked out and issued quickly after we finish.

Joe Bolton