Lymington XOD fleet Saturday Series Race 14

The fleet were set a 3 lap windward / leeward course in a spring ebb tide with wind averaging 18 knots from the SW. The fleet got away from the start cleanly with those getting out into the stronger offshore tide first getting the earlier advantage but with very little distance between first and last boat as they rounded the first windward mark, B, with X32, Ibex helmed by Paul Woodman, leading.

On the first run the fleet had little choice but to sail the rhumb line and this created a lot of traffic at the leeward mark with boats that had sailed slight inshore, notably Richard Field in X92 Persephone, making huge gains.

However, Ibex held her lead all the way to the next windward mark, C. Again, the gains were to be made on the run against the strong tide and on this leg there was the opportunity to sail further inshore to escape the tide. However, only a few boats did this with X33 Clair de Lune making enormous gains and sailing from almost last to 3rd place!

The next beat was fairly uneventful in terms of place changes, however on the final run, Ibex and XN1, Xoanon helmed by Paul Fisher, lost their respective 1st and 2nd places by staying out in the tide and allowed X117, X-Ray, helmed by Robin Balme through into the lead with Clair de Lune and Persephone just behind.

Race 14 results:

Series results can be found here.