Dart 18 open meeting at Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club

Dart 18 open meeting at Isle of Sheppey © James Willmott

Dart 18 open meeting at Isle of Sheppey © James Willmott

Rob Garcka and Abbey Jupp receive prizes from Club Commodore Tim Harris at the Dart 18 open meeting at Isle of Sheppey © James Willmott

Eighteen travellers joined six local boats to take part in Dart 18 GP3 at the Isle of Sheppey Sailing Club. Remarkably, boats arrived, rigged and transferred to the beach with ease, regardless of the limited space available, this mainly due to the excellent work of the Sheppey marshals. The sun was out and a solid force 4 was in evidence and we all took to the water with the anticipation of some great racing in ideal conditions.

Proceedings got underway on time and with a reasonable tide under us we were not disappointed as the conditions lived up to our expectations.

As the races developed it was clear that despite the left hand side offering more pressure in the gusts, taking the offshore route with greater tide assistance generally paid. Meanwhile down wind there was still plenty to play for and places were changing within the top 5 on each lap.

After three races Rob Garcka and Abbey Jupp had established themselves as the clear leaders followed by the chasing pack of Matt and Jake Exon, Dan Norman and Jenni Donovan headed by the more consistent Simon Moruzzi and Hayley Smith in second place.

On returning to shore the prospect of a BBQ followed by a Beach Party provided the necessary boost to drive the weary sailors on. The club included the meal as part of the entry and had arranged a local band for our entertainment. The party went on late into the night and a good time was had by all.

Sunday opened with beautiful sunshine but little wind. The race team took this in their stride and held the fleet on the beach waiting for an anticipated sea breeze. This duly arrived in the form of a variable force 2 to 3 in time for a midday start.

With the breeze in the opposite direction racing was now against the tide and most boats decided to make their way to the right of the course hoping for less adverse tide closer to the shore. This strategy generally paid but as expected deciding just how far to take it before tacking out for the mark was not straightforward. Some crews were finding that going offshore could prove faster especially when the breeze was at its strongest.

In these conditions it was Matt and Jake that showed their skills and took three straight wins, generally reading which side of the course was best to take lap by lap. Each of the other contenders had a least one hiccup in the tricky conditions but it was Rob and Abbey who did just enough to keep their lead and take the event from Matt and Jake by a single point. Behind them it was a tie for third with Dan and Jenni taking the place from Simon and Hayley on count back.

Well done to Rob and Abbey and a big thank you to I.O.S.S.C. for an excellent and very well run event.

Overall Results: