JOG Cowes – Not Poole

JOG Cowes – Not Poole – Cowes Races

by Chris Barker & Pandie Bronsdon 12 Sep 2017 19:59 BST 9-10 September 2017

JOG Cowes - Not Poole Race 2017 © Richard Palmer & Chris Barker

Due to the weather forecast for Sunday morning suggesting (correctly, as it turned out) that setting a start line for the return leg of the JOG Cowes to Poole and Poole to Cowes races would be extremely difficult, and with the possibility that some or all of the smaller boats could still be out when the predicted F6-7 arrived, the JOG Race Committee made the wise decision to keep the 43 strong fleet (out of 55 entries) in the Solent for the two races over the weekend of 9th / 10th September 2017.

In place of Saturday's race, the crews were set a 40 mile course which took them out to the Nab East buoy in the Eastern Approaches, then via the forts and a few more marks back to Solent Bank buoy, near Lymington and then finishing at back at Cowes.

The start was in sunny, gentle downwind conditions, and spinnakers were flown on most boats all the way out to the first mark. The first couple of class 6 boats tried to carry them on the next leg to Warner, near Langstone Harbour, but they were unable to hold on, helpfully showing the rest of the fleet what to expect.

After Warner there was a long beat towards Lymington, mostly against the tide and in increasing winds with squally rain showers rolling up the Solent at regular intervals to add some extra fun. The fleet was split around the Bramble Bank with some boats opting to go north and some to the south. With wind speed and conditions for the final run back to Cowes getting a bit marginal, not all boats (or should that be not all foredeck crew?) were brave enough to carry and gybe their spinnakers all the way back to the Egypt Point finish although those that did had an exhilarating and eventful ride that paid dividends in the results.

Cowes – Not Poole Overall results:

Class 3
1st Dusty P, First 40, Richard Patrick
2nd Bellino, SunFast 3600, Rob Craigie
3rd NJOS, Corby 35, Tim Octon

Class 4
1st Elaine, Elan 37, Mike Bridges
2nd Jester, J-105, David Cowell
3rd White Cloud XI, HOD 35, John Donnelly

Class 5
1st With Alacrity, Sigma 38, Chris & Vanessa Choules
2nd Marta, Sigma 38, Brian Skeet
3rd Shades of Blue, J-110, Ed Holton

Class 6
1st Magic, Impala 28, George Beevor
2nd Two Frank, Impala 28, Sam Flint & Olly Love
3rd Raffles, Elan 295, Peter Cover

Double Handed
1st Bellino, SunFast 3600, Rob Craigie
2nd Jester, J-105, David Cowell
3rd Game On, Sunfast 3600, Ian Hoddle

After some JOG socialising and a good meal in Cowes for most people, Sunday morning brought a short race designed to get the fleet home before the promised gales blew in. Again the Race Committee set a course that would suit all classes with a short, fast downwind leg to a gybe mark at Mother Bank towards Browndown where kites were dropped. The wind was increasing by this point, and after a short beat against the tide to South Ryde Middle, only a few brave souls risked flying kites up to East Bramble, and most boats tucked in reefs for the final beat to the finish as the breeze turned very gusty and picked up as per the forecast.