Hat-trick for Velsheda at the Saint Barths Bucket regatta
by J Class Association 18 Mar 2017 05:28 GMT
16-19 March 2017
Winning their third race in a row for the J Class at the 30th Saint Barth's Bucket Velsheda have extended their overall lead at the top of the class leaderboard to four points.
The famous navy blue hulled J Class yacht may have lead at every mark during Thursday's opening windward-leeward races, but the team which is lead by tactician Tom Dodson used their guile and cunning today and good upwind speed to capitalise when race leader Lionheart could no longer get to the preferred gate mark, so earning their third winning gun on the water, saving their time on the black boat.
Racing in slightly easier, less rock and roll conditions than Thursday's tough pair of opening races – 15-18kts of breeze from just north of east – Velsheda took the lead on the second beat when they could tack in front of leader Lionheart. They were able to extend slightly by gybe setting at the top mark second time up and staying slightly more left of the final downwind. Lionheart suffered with a damaged spinnaker pole on the second run.
On the finish line it was Velsheda, Lionheart, Ranger, Hanuman, Topaz and Shamrock. But after being required to take two penalty turns on the first downwind – because of consecutive fouls on Hanuman – Topaz dropped to sixth on corrected time with Shamrock taking fifth.
From an even start line Ranger flipped off on to port and worked a beneficial early right hand shift for most of the first half of the beat. Lionheart were progressively able to outpace them to lead around the top mark. Of the three boats which chose the left side of the beat, Velsheda were able to gain as Topaz controlled Hanuman, getting the inside berth at the windward mark. At the first turn it was the two yachts which had tacked off to the right from the start line which lead, Lionheart first and Ranger second. Velsheda rounded third. Topaz was given two successive penalties for tacking too close to Hanuman during the mark rounding.
On the approach to the leeward gate Lionheart could not lay the preferred right side mark (looking upwind) to go right on the second beat. Velsheda gained on a nice immediate right hand shift and when next they converged they could tack and control Lionheart in to the final windward mark.
"Lionheart had a broken pole end down the last run or it could have been a closer race with them. It was close racing but we put today down to our crew work. We did a nice jib change which made a difference and a bunch of other things which got us back into the race." Explained Tom Dodson, tactician on the Velsheda, "We think these are our conditions. Now we are the quick boat in the breeze. So I guess we are just enjoying the heavier winds. But we have had our crew together for so long when you throw things at us we can normally can scramble out of it. When I look at some of the other crews some are new to it. They will be ready in a month or two." "We have been having such good starts. Then we can sail our target boat speeds. We have picked our end, gone for it, and got it. Our bowman gets us very close. Ronald, our owner-driver and myself and Campbell Field try to get us set up well. So we thing we will keep on doing what we have been doing."
Bermuda and the world championship are important highlights to the Velsheda programme but once again Dodson notes: "We don't really plan for anything in particular. We just turn up and try to win every regatta. We have a new mainsail and that is making a difference to our speed. We don't like to change too much because they are such tricky boats to set up and get in the groove, so we don't even change mast rake too much for example. We don't know what conditions to expect in Bermuda or Newport or if we should be worried."
Velsheda now have 3.5pts, Hanuman's fourth today sees them four points astern. Ranger lies third overall and were third today.
For Shamrock, Saint Patrick's Day was another very positive learning day for the famous green original wooden J Class yacht's new crew racing aboard the first yacht to be built in Britain to the J Class rule. Commissioned for Sir Thomas Lipton she raced under the flag of the Royal Ulster Yacht Club.
"We are really pleased with our day, especially considering yesterday is really the first day that we have pulled the new sails on and gone racing together. So we are super pleased with how it is going. We are getting better with every race and it was nice today to beat one of our competitors even if it was because they got a penalty. But for us every day is about learning, taking baby steps together." Enthused Ian Moore, navigator on Shamrock. "We are very realistic in our goals together. This is the very original, historic J which has not been rebuilt and is very much as was. For example that means we can wind our runner up to 12 (tonnes) when others can get up to 32, then on our current handicap if we can be nipping at someone's heels we are happy. But this week is about learning. We are building up to Bermuda and the new owner is very excited and this is his first real experience of racing Shamrock."
And for Moore, who grew up within sight of the Royal Ulster YC on Belfast Lough, and is full of admiration for the magnificent original J Class yacht and the renown it is held in local history, it was a memorable way to spend Saint Patrick's Day: "I am a little bit disappointed not to have been allowed to wear green today." Moore smiled, "But to be aboard this boat which has such an association and history with Belfast Lough and the sailing club where I grew up is just a perfect Saint Patrick's Day."
Race 3 Results:
1 Velsheda 1hr 3m 7 secs (corrected time)
2 Lionheart 1hr 3m 23s
3 Ranger 1hr 4m 27s
4 Hanuman 1h 5m 7s
5 Shamrock 1h 8m 13s
6 Topaz 1h 8m 40s
Standings after Day 2: (three races)
1 Velsheda 3.5pts
2 Hanuman 7.5pts
3 Ranger 10pts
4 Lionheart 13pts
5 Topaz 14pts
6 Shamrock 16pts
How to follow racing for the J Class at the 30th St Barths Bucket: