Hamble River Wednesday Night Series - Early Bird Series race 5
by Mike Dellar 29 Apr 2016 09:39 BST
27 April 2016
The weather for the final race of the Early Bird series continued to be as awkward as most previous races – difficult to set a decent course. An hour before the start dark threatening clouds enveloped Hamble, and loud rumbling thunder was enough to give some our brave sailors a few jitters!
Out on the water, the NW wind was varying between 10 knots and flat calm – so long beats back to Hamble Point against the ebb, in what is still very cold weather, were always going to be touch and go.
With this in mind, the race committee added several passing marks to the course in order to be able to shorten, if necessary.
Despite the odd conditions, there were 14 boats out; including the first XOD of the year – Andy Hamlett in "Satu" chose the coldest, wettest night of the year to make his debut!
Racing got underway, in around 8 knots, but this was very short-lived; and 15 minutes into the race the entire fleet was either stationary, or going backwards. Ironically, the 12 boats which had been within a boat's length of the start line had been joined, or overtaken by the 2 laggards!
Had it not been for the fact that they had to lift the anchor manually, the committee would have called a halt to proceedings at the first mark, Fawley Deep; but the debate about who was going have to flex his muscles was (thankfully) cut short by ripples on the water, from the north; and within minutes, most of the fleet were off and running again.
Steph Merry, in "Midnight Cowboy" was first round, followed by Peter Smith and Patrick Pym in "Needlework" – always a slippery boat in light conditions. Those boats which had stood out into the tide on the way up to the first mark, suffered badly – their move for the shallower waters nearer the shore came far too late; particularly so for one of our newcomers, Simon Dalton in "Blink". In an effort to make up lost ground, his lonely exploration of Hamble Spit ended in tears; and ultimate retirement.
Happily the rest of the fleet enjoyed a fast run down to Coronation (Bald Head for the smaller boats); then came the long slog back upwind against the building ebb. At this point the committee decided to end any further agony, and shortened at Hamble Point.
Steph Merry led the usual order home in class one; and likewise Peter Smith and Patrick Pym in class 2.
In class 1, series honours were shared by Midnight Cowboy, and John Noe's La Nef, under the two different handicap systems; with Rob Denning's Light in third place.
In class 2 it was "Needlework" and the multi-owned Impala, "Uproar", sharing the spoils; with Ross and Undraa Elliston's "Mist" and Peter Dessent's "Vlad the Impala" filling the minor places under both systems.
Mike James, in "Forethought" was the clear winner of class 3; with Andy Hamlett's solitary appearance in the XOD class, enough to guarantee his win.
Next week sees the first pursuit race of the year, before the A series commences on 11th.