Sailing, 7th & 8th of June

Saturday, 7^th June

With thunderstorms and strong winds forecast only 5 boats came out to compete in the second race in the Summer series on Saturday. Believing the forecast would materialize, most  boats wore smaller sails than absolutely necessary. All 5 boats made competitive starts heading towards the pier marker and the order No Compromise, Icon, Samaki, Cold Steel and Masquerade was established, but Cold Steel and Masquerade overtook Samaki. At the bell buoy, Cold Steel and Masquerade took wide turns, allowing Samaki to regain her third position. The fleet then turned for Sandsend on a run with No Compromise and Icon popping their spinnakers quickly with Samaki and Cold Steel a little tardier, but making up good ground once they filled. The order remained the same at Sandsend when spinnakers were dropped to start the beat against the wind back to the finishing line. Those that took the offshore route faired better with the aid of the flood tide and a reduction of wind under the cliffs, but the order was maintained as No Compromise led in Icon, Samaki, Cold steel and Masquerade, but the handicap would reverse the first two. 

Result: Class A – 1^st Icon, Neil & Lorraine Williamson, 2^nd No Compromise, Derek Frank, 3^rd Cold steel, Nigel Jarvis. Class B – 1^st Samaki, Nigel Robinson, 2^nd Masquerade, David Miller.

Sunday, 8^th June

Two more boats were tempted out to continue the pursuit series of races held on the Sunday, making the fleet number 7. In these races, the theoretically slower boats set off first and the faster ones set off last and it is their position on the water at the end of the allotted time that determines the result. Serenade of Parkstone led the fleet off, and there was a wait of 11 minutes for Masquerade to follow. Samaki and Cold Steel followed on several minutes later and the hares, Icon, Déjà Vu and No Compromise set off 30 minutes after Serenade. Unusually, there was little overtaking in the first half of the race. However, No Compromise suffered a serious injury on one of her crew and was forced to retire to seek medical assistance. Eventually Cold Steel overtook Samaki and then the seriously fast Déjà Vu made her way through the fleet forging from last to almost first, but nobody could catch the initial tortoise, Serenade of Parkstone. 

Result: 1^st Serenade of Parkstone, Chris Hamlett & Les Franks, 2^nd Déjà Vu, Gerry Firth, 3^rd Masquerade.