Pursuit 1 – 2nd May
The opening race of the popular pursuit series took place on
Saturday. These are the races where the slower boats set off first with the
rest the fleet starting at time intervals between and trying to catch up within
the 2 hours of the race.
Double D was first away, and had completed a short windward
leg into the strong Easterly wind, a reach out to the bell buoy and had started
the run to Sandsend before the chasing pack got away. In fact, with many of the other slower boats
not out, a full 16 minutes passed before the second boat, Masquerade, started.
Followed, in quick succession, by Samaki, Monsoon and Cold Steel. Then, after another gap, Icon and finally
Antix.
Monsoon was quickly in trouble as they didn’t leave enough
room for the first mark and had to go back around, allowing Cold Steel past.
Things were even worse on Samaki, a broken kicker forcing them to retire.
Different tactics were used for the run to sandsend, some
goose-winging to sail directly to the mark while others jibed into the bay.
Icon was one to go for the direct route and was making up ground, but Antix
used their spinnaker and were also closing.
A hard beat back to the bell bouy followed and Double D
still held a healthy lead, but then the navigation let them down as they headed
for the wrong mark allowing the fleet to close. Cold Steel was the first to
catch them having already passed Masquerade and grabbed the lead.
Rounding the bell buoy with the minutes running out Cold
Steel still led but the others were close behind. Antix swiftly launched their spinnaker and
surfed past into the lead. Icon again took the direct route and made such
progress that Antix were forced to jibe across and cover them but the win was
secure. Result: 1st
Antix, 2nd Icon, 3rd Cold Steel
Bank Holiday 2; 4th
May
Having lost their racing on the Bank Holiday Sunday due to
strong winds and driving rain, 9 boats were keen to get some water time on a
lot more favourable day on the Bank Holiday Monday. They had good sunshine, a flat
sea and a modest westerly wind. Icon made a well timed start and she was
closely followed by a further 4 boats, Serenade of Parkstone, Cold Steel,
Masquerade and Antix line abreast. After a short leg to the west, the fleet
turned for the Bell Buoy and with the wind now behind them, they lit up the bay
with their colourful spinnakers. Icon dropped her spinnaker a little early and
allowed Antix to get to the front, a lead she wouldn’t lose for the rest of the
race. After the Bell, the boats hauled in their sails to head westward to
Sandsend. Cold Steel was third on the water and then Masquerade, the lead boat
in class B. This leg proved very slow as the fleet plugged against the tide,
but once they’d turned the mark, they rapidly returned to the Bell Buoy, now
with the tide helping them. Class A’s order remained Antix, Icon, Cold Steel
and Qantro and they’d made good progress so the Race Officer sent them round
again, but Class B had become well spread out with Masquerade holding a good
lead over Skywalker, Serenade of Parkstone, Double D and B & B, so their
race was cut short to just one lap. Class A completed one more lap and the
order remained the same on the water, but after the application of the
handicap, it became obvious that Icon had managed to snatch the lead off Antix.
Result: Class A 1st Icon,
2nd Antix, 3rd Cold Steel. Class B 1st Masquerade, 2nd Skywalker, 3rd
Serenade of Parkstone
