Race Report - 5/6 September
This weekend's race report comes courtesy of Malcolm Lofts (Streak)
Saturday 5 September
Race 1
High water at 0600 meant the start came shortly after low tide. The weather was sunny, though the cooler breeze had crews debating spray tops before the off. Those wanting the ISC launch discovered Andy was away for the weekend.
The other question of the day was when, or whether, the forecast backing to the southwest would actually arrive. Bramblemet subsequently confirmed the problems of a 60 degree shift, especially for the 1215 start.
RLYC RO Derek Hodd ran his usual radio check across the fleet. The provisional 1st mark was Donna. It was pointed out that it is now called ISC, so the RO replied that we all know it as the “Mark off the Green”!
A wind shift brought a postponement before the RO settled on a new course: Gurnard, followed by South Ryde Middle then back to the finish.
Audax and Dancer got caught out near Snowden in a strongish flood tide against gentle, inconsistent wind, and were unfortunately well behind for the start. Dynamite, Darling, Doublet and Streak lined up at the RLYC end. Three boats were over but while Darling was last to return, Streak went back, took the inside line, and was well placed to get away fast.
Helped by well-timed tacks inshore,and avoiding the rocks at low tide, Streak pointed higher and
moved fast, followed by Doublet. We rounded Gurnard well clear of the fleet while Darling, Dynamite and Doublet followed with others behind.
Over the course of the next leg, the wind was shifty from dead downwind to a tighter reach with a starboard-pole spinnaker. Staying inside Prince Consort and tight to Norris, the fleet had to contend with a Maersk container ship coming through from the East; Streak gybed on to port just ahead of its wash, with the ship’s waves nearly putting the bowman in the water!
On the run down, the RO announced he might shorten the course at the leeward mark,
worried the race was running too long. However, he had no boat free to check positions, and
regardless we all had a beat to return to Cowes.
Streak’s lead shrank fast as a new breeze from the West was bringing up the spinnakers of Darling, Dynamite and Doublet, all in line. Streak gybed back on to starboard just in time to catch the same new breeze and was lucky to hold on, to arrive first at the leeward mark, with these four boats now well clear of the rest of the fleet.
Streak, followed by Darling, then worked back West, staying on port tack well past West Ryde Middle, looking to leebow where they could. A key tactical decision was needed with some making for the IOW shore on starboard seeking less tide. However, it was in vain and Doublet, in particular, paid for it eventually finishing 29 minutes behind the winner.
Back offshore, Streak and Darling finally tacked on to starboard to lay the Shrape Post and then threaded through the Cowes Week moorings to finish in just under two hours. Audax took 3rd, having clawed back five places with a well-timed hitch across to the IOW shore at West Ryde Middle, nonetheless finishing 12 minutes behind the leaders.
The remaining places were 9, 36, 29, 14 and 22 at the rear. It was a pity 30 retired shortly after rounding South Ryde Middle, at the furthest end of the course!
Race 2
The first leg on the next race was on a downwind heading of 45 degrees to Ben F Wood. It was indeed almost parallel to the RLYC/Snowden start line, making for enormous bias and a pin-end approach followed by a sharpish gybe and port pole spinnaker hoist.
Snowden looked to be around 1.5 boat lengths over the line, and an OCS was likely with the flood. Several boats came in on starboard and hailed, but 11 (on port) got away amid some
confusion about rights; a good number were probably over, but were relieved to hear the RO
call a prompt "all clear". A shoreside spectator later supplied the evidence that had made it
the RO's only sensible call, as Red Funnel passed at precisely the wrong moment
completely obscuring his view!
Streak had a strong position beside Snowden on starboard but, having gybed immediately on to
port, then came unstuck: the spinnaker went up sideways, then on the dump, it went over the
bow with the fairlead trying to pierce the spinnaker before the halyard was unclipped and the
sea anchor hauled from under the boat. Even so, we recovered quickly and stayed up-tide of the fleet that was arguably paying insufficient attention to the east-going tide and sailing slightly too low towards the first mark.
Darling was clear in front. Darius was then ahead of Streak, who then manoeuvred higher while Dynamite was to leeward of the chasing pack. The remainder of the fleet was further behind. On this leg, weaving through the starboard tack Etchells was an added issue. At the mark, Darling, Dynamite, Darius and then Streak rounded to starboard within close range of each other.
Darius forced Streak into an early tack that left her to weather of the fleet. From then on it was a starboard tack back into the harbour, arriving near the Shrape Pole. Focussing on the shifts, Streak got past Darius and closed on the leaders. However, Darling held the lead to the end and crossed ahead of Dynamite in 41 minutes, ahead of Dynamite, with Streak third. After Darius there were 36, 4, 22, 29 and 14 all close together.
A great day's sailing in tricky, demanding conditions. Many thanks to Derek and Team.
Sunday 6 September
On the experience of Saturday, most decided it was warm enough for no spray tops. Low water today was at 1320 and the wind was light initially (4kn) but building to 10kn by 2 o’clock. Our start was at the turn of the tide.
RO Derek Hodd gave a provisional course but almost immediately had to change the marks
as the wind was varying from S to SE (and continued to do so for much of the race). The photo shows Streak leading the way after the gun, with Doublet hidden behind Audax, and with Dynamite off stage left, having approached the start line from the course side!
First was a short leg to CCYC where Streak gybed for a port pole hoist and took the direct line to RORC. The rest of the fleet led by Darling who were on starboard pole but aiming too far East, especially with the tide starting to flood, and soon gybed on to port.
Streak, only just holding off the inside overlap from Darling, rounded first and headed SW to West Ryde Middle. Darling bore off while Doublet took a higher line and in the very light airs the two boats moved first either side, and then ahead, of Streak.
Initially it looked like a single tack on starboard but there was a massive shift from S to ESE , meaning a tack on to starboard to get further South. Darling and then Doublet arrived on the starboard layline. Streak and Dynamite came in on the port layline with 9 gaining mark-room.
Then heading back North to Ben F Wood, Darling declined to fly their spinnaker while the rest of
the fleet held their kites for a tight reach. Nonetheless Darling lost nothing up to the mark. Rounding to starboard and heading SE to North Ryde Middle saw very little action but the fleet
seemed to compress a bit.
Going North again to Ancasta but, after the wind shift, it was now insufficiently reachy for a kite and as we rounded leaving the mark to port, the order was 11, 22, 9, 23, 14, 29 and 4.
The next leg, SW to CCYC, started as a port pole reach although we on Streak were set up for starboard and had to do a quick gybe! Fortuitously that kept us uptide/downwind of others and so we lost little. Doublet on the other hand sailed too high and soon lost out to not only Dynamite and Streak but also Dancer who was using their small kite.
At CCYC, Darling bore away for a deep run on port to the finish and still had a reasonable lead in front of Dynamite who was closely followed by Streak .... who then sat on Dynamite, causing them to change plan by gybing and heading to the Snowden end of the finish line despite stronger adverse tide. Nonetheless, Dan’s gybe was a wonderful lesson in the agility and speed of an expert bowman!
Meanwhile Darling was heading into the breakwater end of the finishing line seeking less tide. Suddenly they found a slight dead patch of wind and were surprised to realise that they
were now blanketed by Streak. They then gybed on to starboard, forcing Streak to do the same and to keep clear. This allowed Dynamite to steal the show by sneaking through in 1 hour 40 minutes with Streak taking second, 7
seconds ahead of Darling in third.
Dancer came home 10 seconds ahead of Doublet and, bringing up the
rear, Audax managed to pip Defender by just 1 second! These two had had an exciting battle on the last 3 legs with 29 overtaking on the reach to Ancasta, 4 catching up to round just behind at
CCYC, then a great tussle with 4 being victorious at the Snowden end of the finish line.
Hurrah for the Admiral starting last and achieving a glorious win! Another wonderful day’s racing with sun, light winds plus big shifts, challenging courses and some significant changes of places.
Once again huge thanks to Derek and his Team for some excellent racing.
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