Race Reports: 21st - 25th May

SAILING BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND

The yachtsmen had a busy time over the Bank Holiday weekend with a total of five races over a 5 day period. It started on the Thursday evening with a race in the continuing midweek series. Icon led the fleet away and quickly established the lead she would keep throughout. However the remainder swapped places constantly all through the race. Samaki led the trailing bunch in with Skywalker and Masquerade just about dead heating on the line and Teemane led in Bugs Bunny making her first sail of the year. However, the handicaps would reverse this order. Result: 1^st Icon, Neil and Lorraine Williamson, 2^nd Bugs Bunny, Andy Martland, 3^rd Skywalker, Pete Brown.

The White Rose cup was the silverware on offer on Saturday for the Yacht Club fleet. As is traditional this prize was decided by 2 races, a coastal race taking the boats out of the bay first, followed by a race in the bay. The coastal race would provide an extra test of the crew’s navigation skills as they would be required to round a virtual mark – that’s a GPS position which must be sailed around with no physical mark to be seen.

Samaki made the best start, rounding H mark and setting off on the long run to the virtual mark with her nose infront, but speedier spinnaker work soon had Antix at the front chased by Icon and Cold Steel. Qantro was steadily gaining on Samaki too, while Masquerade was doing well without a spinnaker to hold of Lady Hamilton who had their cruising chute set.

Reaching the virtual mark position first, Antix dropped their spinnaker and took a cautious wide line around it. Icon followed but Colin’s homework on Cold Steel paid off as a tighter rounding promoted them to 2^nd. Qantro finally caught Samaki at the mark, causing them both to run wide as they battled each other while trying to home in on the invisible buoy. Masquerade, Lady Hamilton and Double D each located the mark in order and the headed back into the bay.

The order was maintained on the reach into C mark, and then the sails were hardened in for a final beat to the finish. Antix managed to pull enough lead out to take the win ahead of Cold Steel who were delighted to take 2^nd ahead of Icon. Qantro held off Samaki to be 4^th home but the handicap would swap them round.

After a short break for lunch, the fleet headed back out for the deciding bay race. The wind had now freshened and shortened sails were in order. This caught some out, Icon and Qantro being particularly unready. Despite being short on crew, Samaki was as ready as anyone and made another good start.

Antix and Cold Steel again found their way quickly to the front, Samaki running 3^rd. Masquerade and Lady Hamilton were having a close battle which would continue for most of the race, and Icon had set about making up lost ground but Qantro was still struggling to sort her sails and set off with only mainsail up.

The fleet made speedy progress around 2 laps towards Sandsend and back, and so the race officer decided they could sail the complete course. This meant 2 more short laps. Antix maintained her lead, with Cold Steel on her tail. Icon had found her way up into 3^rd pushing Samaki down to 4^th. After swapping positions a few times Masquerade established herself ahead of Lady Hamilton, but the handicap was still favouring the latter. Qantro had finally got going and was steadily catching the tail of the fleet.

Antix completed a second victory to take the cup. Cold Steel securing the runners up place, even the full 4 laps not giving Icon quite enough time to recover any higher than 3^rd. Samaki was a fairly lonely 4^th by the end, well clear of Masquerade, Lady Hamilton and Qantro, who’s pursuit of the slower boats just failed as she was last home by a few seconds.

Overall Result: 1^st Antix – John Allen, 2^nd Cold Steel – Dey, Gowland and Jarvis, 3^rd Icon – Neil Williamson

Gorgeous sailing conditions returned on the Sunday, although the wind was a little gusty, when nine boats competed in the continuing Bank Holiday series. Antix took her usual position at the front, with Icon and Cold Steel snapping at her heels. Samaki led Class B with Masquerade and Lady Hamilton in pursuit. B & B quickly retired and Serenade of Parkstone took an incorrect route so was excluded, just leaving the leading 3 to man the podium. Result: Class A 1^st Antix, 2^nd Icon, 3^rd Cold Steel. 

Class B 1^st Samaki, 2^nd Lady Hamilton, Malcolm & Joanna Stuart, 3^rd Masquerade, David Miller

Stronger winds returned on Monday on a depleted fleet as the effort of racing on early morning starts weighed on the fleet. Class A was reduced to two and Antix showed Icon the way round the course. Class B with four boats were a bit closer and Skywalker and Samaki swapped places as they made their way to the windward mark off Sandsend and Lady Hamilton and Double D kept in touch. All the first four sported spinnaker for the run back to the Bell Buoy, now with the tide with them. As the fleet completed their first lap, the Race Officer sent class A back to Sandsend, but fortuitously left class B to complete a smaller lap as the wind dropped. Class A stayed in the same order and Samaki led in Class B, but couldn’t save her time on the closely following  Skywalker. Result: Class A, 1^st Antix, 2^nd Icon, Class B 1^st Skywalker, 2^nd Samaki, 3^rd Lady Hamilton.