EAORA Pattinson Cup and Ralph Herring at West Mersea Yacht Club
by Tim Cross and Tony Merewether 8 May 2012 12:20 BST
5 May 2012
Class 1 during the EAORA Pattinson Cup © Russ Cashell
Pattinson Cup (by Tim Cross)
EAORA's opening event, the Ralph Herring / Pattinson Cup double header, began this year on Saturday 5th May with the West Mersea Yacht Club's Pattinson Cup Race from Burnham on Crouch to West Mersea.
Both course options involved a trip through the Spitway to cross the Gunfleet sands and the race therefore started two hours before high water. This foul tide, coupled with a fresh North Easterly breeze, meant a challenging beat out of the River Crouch.
The longer course was set and all three classes were away cleanly. All yachts laid the length of the river in one and then chose to tack along the northern edge of the channel from beyond shore ends in an attempt to avoid the tide. On the beat Bob Fawkes’ Carter 37 ‘Tigo IV’ led class 3 with Tony & Chuffy Merewether's Sunfast 3200 ‘Amazon’ leading class 2 and Angus Bates’ J-122 ‘Assarain IV’ leading class 1, with the Class 1 boats making their way to the front of the fleet by the Whitaker buoy.
Yachts bore away at the Whitaker buoy and ‘Amazon’ carried their Code Zero through the Spitway, the only yacht to do so staying in touch with class 1. At Wallet Spitway it was back on the wind for a second beat, now with the tide, to the Holland Gap Diffusers buoy.
A quick reach across the Wallet followed before spinnakers went up for the long run to the Knoll Buoy. From the Knoll, yachts came up on to a fast kite reach up the Blackwater to the finish by the Nass Beacon.
Alan Bartlett's Humphries 11m ‘Inn Spirit’, Stan Fenton's J105 ‘Fay-J’ and ‘Amazon’ sailed together in the increasing breeze, not giving the larger boats ahead a chance to get far enough ahead.
In his first race as Chairman, Tony Merewether's ‘Amazon’ won Class 2 and the Pattinson Cup overall. ‘Fay-J’ was second overall and second in Class 2, with ‘Inn Spirit’ coming third overall and winning Class 1. ‘Tigo IV’ was the Class 3 victor, coming 8th in the overall classification.
Ralph Herring (by Tony Merewether)
Sunday morning was still grey but with less rain and the wind more from the NNE for the start of the Ralph Herring race back from West Mersea to Burnham on 6th May.
All yachts were away first time close to the committee boat end to keep out of the foul tide with a close fetch to North Eagle before bearing away to go through the Spitway. Paul Brant sailing three up in his new Sunfast 3200 ‘Ninjod’ and Tony and Chuffy Merewether’s Sunfast 3200 ‘Amazon’ were the first to fly their code zeros, followed by Stan Fenton’s J105 ‘Fay J’ flying their asymmetric to speed through to the front of the fleet, with Angus Bates’ J122 ‘Assarain IV’ also coming through fast with their asymmetric up. Some boats including Stuart Galloway’s Elan 40 ‘Titian’ and Russell Walker’s Baltic 37 ‘Cosmic Dancer’ both struggled to make the Spitway buoy with their asymmetrics.
Alan Bartlett's Humphries 11m Inn Spirit hoisted her asymmetric in the Spitway and as the bowman was sweating the halyard he fell backwards and over the side. It took a few moments for the crew to lower the asymmetric and pole before Ian Hart turned the boat round and sailed back to retrieve the crew which they did at the first attempt under sail, pulling the very cold crew member back onboard.
Tim Cross and his young crew in his J92 ‘Upstart’ also sailing with their asymmetric up close by saw what had happened and immediately lowered their asymmetric and stood by ready to help until Inn Spirit’s crew member was safely onboard. In doing so they exemplified the cardinal rule of helping other boats in difficulty at sea and the true spirit of yacht racing – well done to them all.
Once through the Spitway it was another close fetch to Barrow 3 through the lee of the Gunfleet Windfarm with a very variable and fitful wind, with the fleet arriving at the buoy close to high water. From there it was a long reach and run back to the finish line at the Crouch buoy with a strengthening foul tide, stretching the fleet and out, with the results close to the order of finishing.
‘Assarain IV’ won the Ralph Herring overall and class 1, ‘Fay J’ was second overall and won class 2, with ‘Ninjod’ third overall and second in class 2. Erotic Bear won class 3 and was 11th overall.