RS Elite Crabber's Nip Autumn Series at Hayling Island Sailing Club - Race 2
by Paul Fisk 16 Nov 2016 09:40 GMT
13 November 2016
After last weekend's cancellation and a short postponement for Remembrance Sunday, the small fleet of five boats in Race 2 of the Autumn Series for the prestigious Crabber's Nip Trophy enjoyed some fabulous conditions with blue sky, sunshine, steady north-westerly breeze and a Super Moon monster tide over a windward-leeward course between Mill Rythe and Dunes inside the Harbour.
More T Vicar (67 – Ossie Stewart, Tom Stewart) slipped away cleanly off the start line to lead the fleet up the first beat against the tide along the Pilsey shore. More T Vicar carefully picked their moment to cross the strong tide in the Emsworth Channel to round Mill Rythe with a comfortable lead from Lazy Daisy (6 – Andy and Karen Partington and Gareth Edwards) in second and Legs Eleven (11 – Paul and Caroline Fisk and Martin Grady) in third.
Once round the mark, More T Vicar opened up a handsome lead downwind assisted by the tide, leaving Legs Eleven and Lazy Daisy to fight it out for second. Legs just got the better of Daisy squeaking in a lee-bow tack half way up the second beat and managed to open a gap once round the windward mark.
With the Super Moon creating a tidal concertina for the last beat, More T Vicar marshalled the chasing boats round the last lap to hold their lead. It was Daisy's turn to get the better of Legs this time round, holding their nerve to creep through the shallows and move into a comfortable second place, leaving Legs Eleven to fight off a late challenge from Shaken Not Stirred (7 – Colin and Jamie Smith and Anna Wells) and Dirty Dozen (12 – James Grant, Izzy Allerston and Mary Sutherland) in fifth.
Many thanks to the Race Team for some excellent Sunday morning racing, getting everyone ashore in time for a relaxed Sunday lunch.