Illusion Team & Fleet Racing at Bembridge Sailing Club

Bembridge Illusion Team & Fleet Racing © Mike Samuelson

Bembridge Illusion Team & Fleet Racing © Mike Samuelson

Bembridge Illusion Team & Fleet Racing © Mike Samuelson

Although a couple of teams dropped out mid-week, we were still able to run a very successful and enjoyable Illusion Inter Club team racing Championship at Bembridge over the weekend. In fact as we only had 6 teams and because it was such a lovely day on Saturday (and Sunday's forecast was for stronger winds), we actually managed to complete the five flight round robin, the best of three plate, semi-finals and finals all on the first day, which then allowed us to lay on some fleet racing on Sunday for those who wanted get back out onto the water.

The team racing on Saturday was run just outside the harbour off Silver Beach in a variable North Easterly F1 - 2 which was just enough to allow everyone to concentrate on tactics. Although it took the RNSA team of Keri Harris and Hamish Walker who were newcomers to Illusions a couple of races to get used to their boats, they very ably demonstrated in the next three races their team racing skills and gave the more experienced top four teams a very close run for their money. It will be great if we can get them to come and race on a regular basis.

Although the winners of a few of the races were obvious soon after the start, the outcome of the majority of the races came down to the tactics on the final run to the finishing line with all four boats crossing the line within a couple of boat lengths of each other with the "last boat" loosing. Indeed on more than one occasion the identity of the last boat changed with feet to go to the line. At the end of the round robin, the SVYC team of Raymond & Colin Simonds were unbeaten; Bruce Huber & James Meaning sailing for BSC had four wins; Mark & Jo Downer for RVYC were on three and the RNSA team of Keri Harris & Hamish Walker were on two having beaten the RYS team of John Raymond & Philip Bown and the Thames SC team of Richard Ambler & Andy Christie.

With the breeze varying in strength, the course was shortened so that the plate, semi-finals and finals could be completed. In the plate the RYS team beat the Thames SC 2-1; in the semi-finals, having been one up, BSC lost to RVYC 1-2, and also one up, RNSA lost to SVYC 1-2. With the tide beginning to drop fast it was decided to reduce the finals to the best of three and to have a single race to decide third & fourth. Although there was very little in it and the Downers looked as if they were going to go 1 - 1 in the second race, the Simonds brothers pulled the genie out of the bag and retained the trophy with a 2 - 0 victory. In the petit-final, BSC beat RNSA 1 - 0.

Many thanks to the Race Officers and Umpires for another very successful day's racing.

Nine helms enjoyed 4 fleet races on Sunday in the harbour in the SSW'erly F3 - 5 breeze. Certainly some challenging conditions for the less experienced sailors, but full marks to them for perseverance. Although his concentration lapsed slightly in the second race when he came third, inches behind his wife Jo, Mark Downer won three races. Raymond Simonds was overall second on equal points with Jo Downer and Colin Simonds was fourth. All in all an excellent weekend of Illusion racing.

The next Regatta is the Picnic Hamper on Saturday & Sunday 20th & 21st of December.

Overall Results:

Start of the 1st Race on Sunday

Start of the 3rd Race on Sunday

Spinnaker Master Classes on Sunday