Highcliffe SC Club Championship - Day 1
by Sarah Desjonqueres 14 Jun 2016 12:14 BST
12 June 2016
Undeterred by an inclement weather forecast, 16 boats competed in the Highcliffe SC Club Championship race this Sunday with a SW F3-4 delivering the perfect sea race. Races 1 & 2 were contested over a lengthy triangle course with race 1 made longer each round thanks to a drifting gybe mark!
Race 1, after a starboard biased start, saw the Laser fleet split in two, with most favouring the top part of the course, up to the windward mark. As expected, the two Contenders, fresh from competing in the World Championships in Monterey Bay, USA, got off to an accelerated start, leading the race from beginning to end with Langdon (Contender) completing the first race with a clear 77 second lead.
A quickly reset race 2 bore witness to a flying start timed to absolute perfection by Parsons (Solo) crossing the line as the horns sounded and leading the charge for the first mark. By contrast C.Fowler pushed his Laser 4.7 hard on the line, fighting for sea room and a place ahead of the slower Laser Radials leaving dad K.Fowler (Laser) behind as his tiller had become somehow snagged on Perry's (Laser) mainsheet.
Lap 3 witnessed a tight main Laser pack split only by Team Gibson (RS Feva) using their spinnaker to great effect enabling them to fight their way back up the positions leading up to and around the gybe mark. But after 4 rounds completed it was again the Contenders who walked away with the win, Langdown beating his compatriot Mussell (Contender) on the water in both races. After correction the results see the Contenders retain their on the water finishes taking a 1,2 in both races with Phelps (Laser) taking 3rd in the 1st race and team Gibson finishing after the Contenders in the 2nd race.
Club Championship races 3&4 will take place 17th July 2016 at 10.30am. Highcliffe SC always welcomes new member and visitors offering harbour and sea racing all year round. Further details can be found at www.highcliffesailing.co.uk, find us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @highcliffe.