Scorpion National Championships at Teign Corinthian Yacht Club - Day 3

Day 3 started in light and shifty conditions. After a discussion with the fleet the race officer sent the Scorpion class further out to sea and set a much bigger course.

After a big wind shift on the start line the first start was abandoned and the course relayed. Pete Gray and Rich Pepperdine got out of the gate like a robbers dog to take the lead at the windward mark followed closely by Pete Mitchell and Simon Forbes, Trever and Barry Rawlins and Tim Hartley and Hannah Edge. Gray and Mitchell managed to fly the spinnaker in the fading breeze to extend their lead over the fleet whilst the rest of the fleet came to a halt. Eventually the wind filled in and shifted to come from the gybe mark and turned the course inside out. By the end of the first lap it was a Staunton Harold 1, 2, 3 with Hartley and Edge pulling through to third.

The wind had increased to a good 18 knots and the leaders powered down the "run " which had become an exciting tight reach only to become confused as the leeward mark had been picked up in a rib and the fleet had to navigate their way around a rib which had become the new leeward mark! This caused much confusion with boats capsizing and not sure whether to drop their spinnakers or not.

Pete and Rich took the victory by 3 minutes from Mitchell and Forbes and 8 minutes from the third place boat of Tom Gillard and Sam Breary who battled their way through the fleet after a capsize.

For the second race the wind direction had settled and the race officer had re-laid his course. The breeze was still increasing and many boats had raked back and pulled the flattener on. With the line being very port biased most of the fleet got the tack away off the start line. Kevin 'Gonzo' Gozling and Andy Service showed rapid upwind speed to take the lead into the 2 sail reach. As the race progressed the waves built in height for the fleet to enjoy some great surfing during the downwind legs. Rich Jones and John Purdie were enjoying their surfing a little too much as they pitch poled and broke the centre board case as Rich grabbed the thwart to stop himself flying through the air.

At the finish line Tom Gillard and Sam Breary took the bullet followed by Pete Gray and Rich Pepperdine and Pete Mitchell and Simon Forbes. Gray and Pepperdine have the overall lead after 3 races. 2 more races a scheduled for Wednesday with a later start time of 1pm to allow for the tide.