Race Report - 3/4 May

And we're off! The season has started!

Any first-time Daring sailors out this weekend, and I know of several, experienced both ends of the spectrum, with absolute drifting conditions on Saturday and a stiff F4 on Sunday.

Saturday 3 May

Despite a questionable forecast, a fantastic 11 Darings went out on Saturday for the first race of the season. The first mark was set as "ISC", off the green, which was due to be a fetch before turning North to beat up to the Brambles. The flood tide had lessened, perhaps turned, inshore at the start and the inshore boats including Doublet and Streak had the early gains. However, the wind died to nothing and, with boats drifting without steerage, launches were deployed to prevent groundings off the green.

Closing Speed: N/A

In a move carefully calculated to maximise lunchtime turnover, the RLYC race team abandoned and simultaneously recommended lunch at the club, which was gleefully taken up by all boats not furnished with sandwiches.

The race was re-sailed with a slightly smaller fleet after the wind picked back up, but it remained shifty from the North. At the start, three boats were over (Dancer, Dauntless, Streak) and the extra space allowed Diamond to pop out of the reach ahead of the pack. They subsequently managed the shifts to hold the lead up to the first mark on the Brambles, ahead of Audax.

Rounding to port, most boats were prepared for a starboard pole and a broad reach but the wind appeared finer than expected and nobody could hoist on the short leg. The subsequent leg was a clear port pole however, and those boats which either span gear before the gybe mark or executed an early gybe made big gains. Dauntless, having closed back in on the boats ahead, took Doublet and Dynamite in this manner.

All the while, however, Diamond was untroubled in the lead and with a tidy drop, gybe and round-up at CCYC off the Shrape she sailed for the finish at Snowden. Diamond, Audax, Dauntless.

Sunday 4 May

Two races were sailed in a stiff NE breeze. It was a splashy day and a drop in air temperature gave noticeable wind chill. Dauntless' support boat was out with the next generation observing the racing closely - in particular, making sure that her father was wearing his lifejacket given that she was made to wear hers!

Dauntless' Support Team

In Race 1, a westward fetch took boats to Right Bay, off Gurnard. With line bias, inshore paid for Destroyer while Streak profited in mid-line due to other boats' line-shyness. Debutante also had pace and rounded the first mark in third place, outside of Streak.

Darius frustratingly found in this wind that the clew slug on their new mainsail was perhaps undersized for their boom (the newest cross-section) and when it popped out, they retired for repairs, reappearing for the second race (we will message separately about this).

In a tight-fought beat up to Ben F Wood on the South of the Brambles, the four lead boats were at times within a stone's throw, with the lead changing regularly. Large shifts off the North shore could quickly change the feel of the race and as the boats closed on the mark, Dauntless looked to have made it through Destroyer. However, a mis-judged attempt to cross on port was exacerbated by a shifty breeze and, after Dauntless' turns, Destroyer led around the mark, followed by Streak and then Dauntless. After a certain amount of confusion at the mark, only Streak of the lead cohort managed a clean, quick hoist and closed to within striking distance of Destroyer. Eventually hoisting, Destroyer worked hard to keep clear air on the broad reach home with Streak threatening, but she held off to win by five seconds. Dauntless kept comfortably between the lead pack and Doublet to take third.

First leg, Race 1 (c) John Green

In Race 2, the race committee threw a new challenge at the competitors with a start to the East. With no "muscle memory" of similar starts, competitors had to devise a strategy for a strong pin bias, unable to cross the line on Starboard, and a flood tide taking them over the line. Several boats, including Doublet; Destroyer; and Dauntless lined up OCS on Starboard, intending to dip the line on Starboard before tacking. Others were lining to cross traditionally on Port. This came to a head between Doublet and Dynamite at the pin, hampering what might have otherwise been a perfect start by Doublet! Dauntless was a little early and ended up pinned by Destroyer, who tacked first for the best start of the fleet.

As the boats headed off to a yellow to the East of the Brambles, driving the boat through choppy seas was the biggest challenge and by the first mark Dauntless and Destroyer had stretched out a decent lead from the boats behind. Closing the mark, the tide coming out of the North channel surprised both boats with multiple attempts at the port layline falling short. However, Dauntless made the most of a small lead to face Destroyer on multiple tacks, defending her position around the mark.

On the run for home, the course was deeper initially before rounding West Ryde Middle then hardening up for Cowes. Conversations were had about the small spinnaker, especially with the reach looming, but all boats stuck with the large. It was probably the correct move, but nobody got away without at least one hairy moment in the big waves North of Cowes. Destroyer tried going high at first, before considering an overtaking lane to leeward, but neither move really made significant gains although she did show some speed when on the limit and closed to within 15 seconds. Dauntless, Destroyer, Streak.

Results so far are up on Halsail. Thanks to Derek Hodd at RLYC for a well-managed weekend's sailing and see you next weekend!