Royal Lymington Yacht Club Nordic Folkboats Saturday Series Race 6
by Chris Baldwick on 13 Jun
10 June 2017
Eleven Nordic Folkboats came to the Platform starting line of the RLym YC Summer Regatta for Saturday's race, which was also sailed as the Nordic Class's Saturday Series Race Number 6.
Competitors were faced with a boisterous south westerly 20 knots of breeze, but a lovely sunny day with a strong spring tide on the ebb. Clearly a bumpy ride was to follow!
The fleet were understandably slightly line shy, but got away cleanly. The best way to the first mark at Hurst, was to go south on starboard into the deeper water and stronger ebb flow. Padfoot led the way around the first mark at Hurst followed by Pilgrim and Bonnie.
A tight reach to Lymington Bank followed. Some boats elected not to fly spinnakers on this leg. Tak & Madelaine flew spinnakers from the start of the leg, and sailed low and to the north, avoiding the worst of the outgoing tide at 'Fiddlers Deep', and pulled past Pilgrim and Bonnie before the mark.
The fleet then ran deep and low to the mainland shore to the leeward mark, with Madelaine taking the lead by sailing a more direct rhumb line course, followed by Tak and Padfoot with Pilgrim, Samphire and Bonnie chasing the pack. Quite a bit of 'Folkboat rolling downwind' was endured by all.
Pilgrim and Samphire were fortunate to be joined by a playful dolphin on this leg, enjoying itself by playing in their wakes, an unusual sight in the Solent at any time!
A short beat and another run didn't change the order and the fleet sailed back to the finish at the platform. At the line it was Madelaine first, Tak second and Padfoot third.
Only 6 Nordic Folkboats make the start for the Sunday race, which counted towards the Summer Regatta results.
They were met by similar sunny conditions to Saturday, but with slightly less wind and a flood tide, so a smoother sea. Tak and Pilgrim correctly judged the line bias and made port tack starts crossing the fleet and clear away. A shorter version of Saturday's race followed in sparkling conditions, which saw Tak home first followed by Pilgrim and Paloma. At the Club regatta prize giving Tak took overall first prize in the Nordic division of the R.Lym YC Summer Regatta, with Pilgrim second and good to see Svane third with Sean Muskett and family aboard.
Results can be found on the RLymYC website Folkboat section here.