XOD Wednesday Series at Royal Lymington Yacht Club - Race 16

X boat racing first started on Wednesday afternoons in the Lymington River in 1927 when most boats were built by the Berthon Boat Co. and shopkeepers shut at 1pm and cycled quickly down to their boats. The recent spell of glorious weather was still at its best for this Wednesday's race to continue the tradition.

Twelve boats including most of those returning from Cowes Week competed in a light to medium easterly breeze tacking upwind against a strong ebb tide to a mark in mid Solent off Tanners. Long leisurely starboard tacks were the order of the day. The fleet chose to stay inshore out of the tide with only Richard and Liz Field in Persephone who first started sailing her together in 1977 chancing their arm on a more direct offshore course.

Young and old were afloat and it was 20 year old Nick Froud sailing with his Daddy and James Meaning in Venus who was first round the windward mark but was seriously attacked by Adrian Jardine in Lucrezia on the run to Oxey.

On the next starboard tack up to Tanners the Fields again stayed offshore and having tweaked some power out of Persephone, Xs are sensitive boats but the rewards great fun, threatened the leaders and pulled up to fourth behind Rory Paton in XL. Nick was delighted to hold on to his lead to beat all the other older blighters home for tea doughnuts and Danish pastries.

Race 16 Results: (top 6)

1. Venus (X72)
2. Lucrezia (X140)
3. XL (48)
4. Persephone (X92)
5. Diana (X164) Ian Burr
6. Julia (X42) Stephen & Rosemary Whiteman

Full Royal Lymington Yacht Club XOD Series results can be found at rlymyc.org.uk/OnTheWater/Fleets/XOD/XOD_Results.aspx