Moore Blatch Royal Lymington YC Thursday Night Late Series - Day 7
by Hannah Neve 19 Aug 2014 15:49 BST
14 August 2014
Despite squally showers and 25 knot winds beforehand, Thursday Night Racing resumed its normal weather service with the Class 3 Lymington Handicap fleet started off in pleasant weather and light winds on a beat with the tide to an inshore mark off Pennington. The lighter day boats again were first round and the following cruisers couldn't make any impression in the gentle conditions on the spinnaker run against the tide.
Breeze opted to sail the direct route in the stronger tide to the leeward mark out in the Solent off Pylewell while the others sought the slacker tide inshore. It paid off, with Breeze first round followed by Pallas Athene and Pathogem, positions which were held on the final run in to the shortened finish. However, on handicap Pallas Athene recorded another regulation win ahead of Breeze and Pathogem with Solo leading in the following cruisers.
The IRC 1 and 2 fleet enjoyed a fast beat up to the windward mark, Echopilot, helped by a sluicing ebb tide. On the run across to The English Summer Berry Co mark east of Yarmouth a few boats gybed and kept to the north of the deep water, hoping to find less current against them but most headed across to the Island and then gybed their way past Black Rock and Yarmouth Pier, keeping inshore in search of slacker water.
Purple Haze, Shane Armitage's J80 led the way with Mojo, Colleen and Kit Off in pursuit. Kipper, owned by John Corden, had the misfortune to strike the ledge inside Black Rock buoy and was stuck fast. The course then took competitors back upwind to Dunfords off Pennington, where the race was finished. Purple Haze (Shane Armitage) was first across the line and first on corrected time. Mojo (Jim White, J800 crossed second some four minutes later which placed her 6th on handicap.
Kit Off overtook Colleen to finish third on the water, but 4th on handicap. Once again it was Stren, which took second place on corrected time, with Colleen placed third. With 2 races left in the series Purple Haze has 9 points, Sten 12 and Colleen 17, with Jane, another J80, on 21 and Kit off on 22. In IRC Class 1, Boomerang and Edith are on equal points but with Boomerang leading the series on countback.
Results at rlymyc.org.uk/Sailing/Racing/Race_Results.aspx