Crouch Yacht Club Nutcracker Series - Race 2
by Phillip Harbott 6 Dec 2016 20:13 GMT
4 December 2016
Crouch Yacht Club Nutcracker Series race 2 © Russ Cashel
The forecast for strong winds did not materialise for the Crouch Yacht Club fleet but, none the less, a brisk easterly certainly made for a chilly start to racing.
A course was set to take the yachts down river to No. 3, and on the starting signal, Glorious Fools, Digger Harden and Pete Jackson's J 80 had the best start with Phillip Harbott's Aphrodite 101, Mantra, very close behind. Double Trouble the higher rated Corby 29, owned by Duncan and Beccy Hayley, started towards the middle of the river but quickly took the lead with Grace and Danger helmed by Stephen Gosling not far behind.
The foul tide beat saw some very close racing between the fleet, with Double Trouble rounding first with Glorious Fools hot on her heels. The downwind wind leg to Cliff, with the tide, was very quick the J80 had to put in several gybes, but the boats flying AP spinnakers sailed the rhumb-line to the mark to gybe at Cliff and reach towards Canewdon. The positions on the water did not change and the windward leg towards No. 9 was particularly slow against the strong flood tide, it being essential to stay as shallow as possible and Mantra finding the bottom a couple of times.
The race officer very kindly shortened the course at No. 9 the windward mark and finished the fleet coming back through the line.
On corrected time Double Trouble were 1st with Glorious Fools 2nd, Mantra 3rd and Grace and Danger 4th.
Double Trouble and Glorious Fools are tied on 3 points apiece, Double Trouble leading on countback, with everything to play for in next week's concluding race of the series.