International Canoes at POSH - Paignton Open for Single Handers - Day 2

Day 2 started with another long wait as an easterly wind together with a high tide kept competitors ashore, with waves making launching impossible until a suitable amount of beach was revealed by the ebbing tide. The good news was that the race officer had decided to promote the Canoe fleet into the first start alongside the Blaze fleet, who proved to be a much better behaved on the start line.

Once the boats left the beach, the wind gradually increased as they progressed across the bay with the committee boat positioned much further out, in hope that a more stable breeze could be found. The wind would build to the point where the Canoes were just starting to get overpowered upwind, but the easterly direction meant that there was a horrid swell pattern - upwind every 5th or 6th wave was a large 3 metre terror with the odd wave peaking over 5 metres.

It was one of these monster waves that decided the outcome of race 1. Chris Hampe in Monkey had sailed upwind, and very much uphill to the summit of one of these mountains of water, only to find the wave didn't have a back. The boat fell in to the trough and promptly rolled over. This left Phil Robin out in front to take the win. Hampe recovered to hold on to second ahead of an ever-persistent John Ellis in third.

Except for around 1 metre of the race course, Phil Robin lead all of race 2. Unfortunately for Phil the metre that Chris Hampe was able to get ahead was the final metre of the race with Monkey just riding the swell better on the final reach of the trapezoid course. John Ellis had a couple of capsizes to finish around five minutes behind the leading pair and would see him heading back to the beach after finishing.

Race 3 was a one way affair as Phil Robin took a large lead early as the left had side of the course was heavily biased.

Race 4 was a winner-takes-all showdown between Hampe and Phil Robin and off the start line it was Hampe who was leading to the left hand side in clear air. Around the course the boats were fairly evenly matched the gap closing and increasing as each boat fought their way over the waves on the upwind legs and surged forward whilst surfing downwind. The race would be decided at the final windward mark and it was Hampe, having decided that the mark needed some close attention, becoming pinned to the mark. By the time he had drifted free Phil Robin was sailing by and the resulting 360 degree penalty turn left a lead that could not be challenged.

Now the eagle-eyed reader will notice that the names Robin Wood and Gareth Caldwell are missing from this report. The author as yet has not heard any tall tales from either, so has to conclude that either: 1) Their hangover was too bad to sail following a heavy night of drinking. 2) They couldn't sail due to severe brain freeze due to sitting on the promenade eating copious amounts of ice cream during the postponement. or 3) all of the above.

Overall Results: (top three)

1st Phil Robin, GBR 328, Scarlett Lady
2nd Chris Hampe, GBR 308, Monkey
3rd John Ellis, GBR 334, Horizon Job