IRC Solent Region Championship - Day 1
by Graham Nixon 5 Jun 2014 18:41 BST
31 May 2014
Class 3 racing on the first day of the IRC Solent Region Championship © Graham Nixon
Saturday was the first event in this year's Solent Region Championship. We left the marina and headed off down the Hamble with the kettle on and bacon warming in the oven. It was time to catch up with friends we had not seen for a while through the winter and rig the boat.
Sadly, once in the vicinity of the Committee boat at Hill Head there was a definite lack of wind. 'AP' was announced. The Royal Southern were also hoping to start a passage race to Yarmouth and so there was quite a lot of chat on Channel 72 discussing race areas and wind projections. Some crew members took the opportunity to find a quiet spot for a nap.
Eventually the committee laid 2 inflatable marks to windward on a bearing of 240°.8nm and.6nm from the Committee boat. The leeward mark was placed close to the Committee Boat. Classes 1 and 2 were starting together and their course was the further windward mark to port, leeward mark to port x 3 and finish at the ODM. Classes 3 and 4 were also amalgamated and the course was the closer windward mark to port, leeward mark to port x 3 and finish at the ODM.
Whilst we were hoisting the kite for the second time the Race Committee announced the race was to be shortened at the leeward mark. We chose the right side of the course for the little wind available and hoped to be in the top three.
There was a long wait for all the fleet to finish the race and sadly two boats scored DNF due to the conditions and finishing more than 20 minutes after the winning yacht in their class. The Committee announced that they would make a decision regarding the afternoon at 14:30, and at that point they decided there would not be another race. All were welcomed back to the Club for Prize Giving at 18:00.
As we headed up Southampton Water on our way back home, the wind increased to a strength that would have been oh so welcome earlier in the day! C'est la vie!
Let's hope the next Championship event on 28th June hosted by Portsmouth SC can provide more wind.
Class 1 results:
1 Zero II, James Gair
2 No Retreat!, David Riley
3 La Response, Andrew McIrvine
Class 2 results:
1 Malice, Huw Phillips
2 Kurketrekker, Stephen Parry
3 Xcitable, Peter Hodgkinson
Class 3 results:
1 Aneet Djinn, Steve Bromley
2 Xarifa, Teresa Whelan
3 Wild Child, Brian Wilkinson
Class 4 results:
1 Crakajax, Richard and Ursula Hollis
2 Erik the Red, Bernard Fyans
3 Two Frank, Samantha Flint