Late Autumn Series at Liverpool Yacht Club - Day 4

A crisp Sunday morning saw the crews arriving at the dockside for the FarEastSails.com sponsored Late Autumn 4 race needing to remove ice from their yachts before leaving the pontoons. The previous forecast had been for a Northerly 6-8 knots but once out of the lock the fleet of eleven yachts found a 5-7 knot breeze coming from the SE. The Race Officer (Clarevouyant) had set both Class 1 and 2 yachts relatively short courses for the light airs and strong tide predicted.

A good start was important, with a strong tide and relatively little breeze, nobody wanted to be over the line. Mighty Max got away well with Seaker and Ragtime IV close behind. The Class 1 course took the fleet on a beat down past G1 and E2 before cracking off slightly to E4. The lead boats initially stayed with white sails going across the river to G5, but Daydream Believer immediately put up their kite and made good ground. Ulula and Mightly Max responded by putting up their kites but unlike DDB couldn’t hold them all the way to G5.

The leg back to E2 saw a wind shift and pressure dropping and Ragtime IV made good ground by staying on a more northerly track, eventually passing E2 alongside Ulula and heading towards the finish.

As the fleet headed back up the wind again began to fade away and for a time yachts were making more progress with the tide than the breeze.

A well sailed race in Class 2 saw Quattro finish in top position with Skukusa and Saphoenix alongside each other until only a few yards from the finish with Skukusa just sneaking 2nd slot.

Class 1 was a close affair with Mighty Max finishing first and only 55 seconds separating second to fifth with Ulula and Ragtime having a dead heat in 3rd position.

Day 4 Results:

Class 1
1. Mighty Max II, Prima 38, Neil Thomas
2. Seaker, Beneteau 25, Malcom Blair/Dave Unthank
3. Ragtime IV, 1/2 Tonner, G. Whittaker, D. Martin

Class 2
1. Quattro, Sigma 33, Steve Harrison
2. Skukusa, Impala, Stuart Lofthouse
3. Saphoenix, Sigma 33, Ken Roberts