Race Report - 9-10 May

This weekend's race report comes from Dynamite and Defender, courtesy of David Tydeman and Perdy Light respectively.

This weekend was part of the CCCA season, with today run by the Royal London and featuring Committee Boat starts for Etchells, Darings and Dragons.

Saturday 9 May

Planned start time was 1215 but with less than 5 knots of wind varying across the Solent from almost nothing at Bramble Bank, 4-5 knots running along the Lee on Solent shore from the ESE and a few knots ENE at Ryde, the Committee kept us well informed by WhatsApp and radio as they hosted AP over AP. As the expected 8-10 knots ESE started to build signals shifted to AP and we all gently left our moorings heading East to Collete 4X buoy on the edge of the bank in Osborne Bay.

With Youth team sailing a big part of the Etchells and other Solent fleets, it’s great to see the Daring fleet attracting younger sailors – welcome to Perdy Light and her Youth Crew on Defender out this weekend!

Race 1 - 1355, Osborne Bay

The Committee struggled to lay the start line initially with the pin end drifting east (with too short an anchor line) in the neap flood tide and this being a clear indicator of the deeper water just North/NW of Collette marking the edge of the bank.

The Etchells fleet of 7 yachts (4 Youth Teams) got away first with the Daring fleet of 8 starting ten minutes later. 5 Dragons then set off after the Darings. In the light winds this kept the 3 classes well enough separated on the 0.7nm bearing 115 degrees to the windward mark (course was LAG 2 laps with spreader mark, downwind gate and offset finishing line).

Winds were a bit shifty and a significant difference also across the course with the stronger flood tide running on the left of the beat once off the bank. Dynamite chose the pin end with Darling just being too early and having to duck the mark and circle back around. Despite this Darling had the lead by the windward mark, closely followed by Doublet and Streak.

By the end of the second downwind leg, the Etchells were in a start pattern for their second race - with the start line only ~150m downwind of the leeward gate - and for some Darings, rounding the left hand leeward gate mark for the short reach to the offset finish line to port, meant some close ‘windward boat’ crossings with the Etchells (despite this I thought the Committee did a great job of running the 3 classes on the same course and giving 2 good races for Darings and Dragons, 3 for the Etchells).

The finish of the first race was very close, Darling just four seconds ahead of Doublet, who in turn was only two seconds ahead of Streak in 3rd. Dynamite 4th.

Race 2 - 1445, Osborne Bay

With HW Portsmouth 1735, the ebb had started inshore along Osborne Bay and across the start line. With winds a bit more stable for the second race, the call was whether there was enough of the flood tide still running off the bank.

Dolphin got this right, spotted and joined the Etchells fleet on their second upwind leg out to the left-hand side of the beat and she led the fleet into the top mark. Followed closely by Doublet and Dynamite, the downwind leg was now down tide gybing onto port pole for the left side and stronger ebb. Second upwind leg was similar but with less flood tide on the left of the beat.

Playing more of the middle to left, Dolphin and Doublet continued their lead with 3rd to 6th places just behind them, very close at the top mark. Judging the starboard lay-line with now an adverse ebb tide at the top mark was the challenge. Dynamite broke clear and Darling lost out to Dreamer and Streak in the tight rounding, dropping from 4th to 6th.

Again, the Committee started the Etchells whilst the Darings were running down to their finish but now with greater separation and no close calls. Great result for Dolphin just 6 seconds ahead of Doublet with Dynamite in 3rd.

Sunday 10 May

Race 3 - 1215, off Peel Bank

Sunday brought stronger winds and a smaller fleet with gusts up to 24 knots off the Bramble Bank, with four Darings out: Doublet, Streak, Dolphin and Defender. The Etchells started ten minutes ahead of each Daring race, sharing the course. The Committee Vessel anchored just west of Peel Wreck Buoy, offering some shelter for another round of windward-leewards. Defender led off the line, heading up the left side of the beat to catch the flooding tide, but Doublet found the better lane and rounded the first windward mark in front. The order behind shuffled repeatedly through the race as the fleet wrestled with kites in the breeze - all boats held spinnakers downwind, though several gybes got lively and control was hard-won. Doublet pulled clear to finish in 35:01, with Streak in second at 37:28 and Dolphin third at 37:57. Defender, mistaking another buoy for the finish, stopped racing short of the line and took a DNF.

Race 4 - 1305, off Peel Bank

With winds fluctuating, close attention was given to the ebb (HW Portsmouth 18:41) which had started inshore and along Osborne Bay. The four Darings started in close quarters at the pin end, with the right side initially looking favoured - though it didn't pay off decisively. A wind shift turned the first downwind leg into a straight spinnaker run to the leeward gate. Streak ran into trouble on the second beat with multiple spins and dropped back. Doublet and Dolphin fought it out for first place with Doublet taking the edge with a finish time of 32:46, 30 seconds ahead. A neck and neck spinnaker leg between Streak and Defender saw both boats cross the finish line together at 34 minutes, with Streak taking the win by a second.

Another day of well-set courses from race management. Congratulations to Doublet for a strong overall event win with a score of 6, Dolphin and Streak in 2nd with a score of 12, and a shoutout to Defender in 4th.

From a youth team perspective we had a fantastic day with such a welcoming class not afraid to tease us into shape or give us advice when we were figuring out symmetrics! Thanks all for a great weekend - Perdy and team.