XOD Wednesday Series at Royal Lymington Yacht Club - Race 17
by Roy Froud 25 Aug 2016 15:22 BST
24 August 2016
In almost no wind, Race Officer Malcolm McKeag led the 12 XODs out to race and he and the fleet were well rewarded for their efforts with a very pleasant 8 knot SW breeze and dazzling sunshine which made for champagne conditions in shorts, T-shirts and the occasional bikini!
A 3 lap triangular windward / leeward course was set inshore between Pylewell Lake And the starting platform and with bias at the committee boat end of the line Stuart Jardine in X119 Lone Star showed the fleet how to execute the perfect port tack flyer enabling him to establish the early advantage as they tracked inshore out of the flood tide. Starting at the pin end, Roy Froud in X57 Red Coral made good gains on those boats determined to tack immediately on the pin for favourable tide and was in second place after the first crosses with Rory Paton in X48 XL in third and the youth team (guest helm Ollie Porter along with Nik Froud and Henry Collison) on X72 Venus in fourth. By the top mark Robin Balme's X-Ray X117 was in fifth with a good gap from the rest of the fleet.
Despite much jostling positions remained the same with Lone Star showing impressive speed in clear air at the front of the fleet. However, on the final stages of the second beat XL slipped inside Red Coral at the mark and Venus moved up to 3rd as the wind piped up on the final beat to the finish.
Race 17 Results: (top 5)
1st - X119 Lone Star
2nd - X48 XL
3rd - X72 Venus
4th - X57 Red Coral
5th - X117 X-Ray
Well done to Malcolm McKeag for managing to run a very good race when the forecast was against him!
A special mention must go to the three boats that had broken or damaged masts during Cowes Week that managed to get their boats sailing again in time for this race, two of them finishing in the top 5!
Full Royal Lymington Yacht Club XOD Series results can be found at rlymyc.org.uk/OnTheWater/Fleets/XOD/XOD_Results.aspx