31/05/2009 Racing Report - Bank Holiday Weekend, 23-25 May 2009 Summer must be arriving because we had a weekend of light airs and a turnout to match. Owen was on the East Coast, so no Njord, Bill broke down on the M3 and so Julia never made it with Aimee and Eric and Mike were both on holiday. So Supremacy, Cavalier and Jerboa were left to fly the flag for the Dragon fleet.
On Saturday, racing got away on time with a beat up the shrape to South Ryde Middle in an easterly breeze and a fast ebb spring tide. Three boats came to the line and they all knew that only way to go was up the island shore. Jerboa made the best start by the inner distance marker, Supremacy crossed astern on starboard before hitching over onto port underneath and ahead of Cavalier and all three headed for the shallow water. After short tacking up the shore the order remained the same across Osborne Bay and out to the channel buoy. Up went the spinnakers on starboard jibe, with all three boats wishing to hold on to the dying easterly breeze. The procession was by now spread out and all three jibed onto port to leave Air Canada to port. As we headed for Gurnard we could see that the Daring fleet who had started half an hour earlier were either kedged or under tow, having lost the breeze and failed to make up against the west flowing tide. The Island Sailing Club were quick enough to realise this was happening and sent a rib to provide a finishing result for the Dragons and X boats at Gurnard. The race finished in the order it started with Gavia taking the honours.
Sunday came and lack of wind brought an indefinite postponement too. After 1pm both Supremacy and Cavalier’s crews headed off for other Sunday pursuits - gardening or lunch. Unknown to fleet captain (on gardening leave – or is that not quite the right use of the term!?!?) within minutes the APs came down and racing was set for a 2pm start.
Jerboa was the only competitor keeping track of the flags so completed a short (lonely) course up to Gales and back to the Island S C line three times. The race committee recorded that Jerboa had completing the course in a quicker time than the Darings… Well done Gavia. Sorry no-one was there to witness or celebrate!
Monday was to be a match race between Supremacy and Cavalier. Again there was very little wind but Tony and Richard were both determined to be on the pace at the start ….. well at least at the start!
Both boats came out and moored near the starting line. When the postponed racing got under way at 1.45pm with a breeze filling in from the west, a short course was set - a run to Gales and beat back to CHC (a mark off the shrape) with the tide, three times round and back to the finish. Supremacy got the better of the start and within a few minutes was the first to see that the wind was going through 180, dropped the spinnaker and beat up the shore extending their lead over Cavalier. The four trips up to Gales saw no change…. the main hazard being the Daring fleet on the same course a lap or two behind, .struggling to master the tidal race at Gales.
We are expecting a much better turnout this coming weekend for the second Red Funnel weekend… and some good weather too!
