Lymington Town Sailing Club Sunday Early Points Series - Day 2
by Luke & Emma McEwen 23 Mar 2018 07:23 GMT
11 March 2018
Nigel Walbank during LTSC Sunday Early Points Series day 2 © Luke & Emma McEwen
The Lymington Town Sailing Club Sunday race was postponed by 10 minutes to allow 220 Optimists to launch for their Spring Championship. With a feisty force 5 forecast from the east against the start of the flood tide, the competitors and safety team were psyched up for big waves, but the wind moderated to a pleasant force 4 and the chop settled down in time for the start.
The Fast fleet raced around a compact windward-leeward course squeezed between the ferry channel and the Oppies. Flying a hull most of the way round in their Formula 18 catamaran, Dougal Harris and Abby Keightley-Hanson sailed the full five laps, the only boat to do so. However Nigel Walbank was on great form in his Musto Skiff and pipped them to win by 21 seconds on corrected time, with Richard Lilley third in his RS700.
Having waited so patiently for their starting sequence, the 25-strong Medium fleet suddenly couldn't control their enthusiasm and all rushed the short starting line at once, forcing a general recall. At the second attempt only one Aero started prematurely, so the race was away at last, albeit with some close manoeuvring as the Fast fleet had finished their first lap and was sailing back through the line. Mark Barwell and Lou Johnson had to do two turns after bumping into a neighbouring boat, leaving them fighting back through the fleet from almost last. Meanwhile fellow Merlin Rocket sailors Gareth Griffiths and Vicky Lenz looked to have the advantage tacking off early into clear air.
In the end it was a good race for Merlins: John Cooper and Becci Wigley led from the first run to the finish, hotly pursued by Nick Simmons and Fi Mayo. Further back the Aeros were making the most of the waves on the downwind zig-zag course. After three laps Nev Herbert took second place in his Aero 7 behind Cooper and Wigley, while Dave Ellis in his Aero 5 demonstrated great reaching skills to stay with the leading pack for the whole first lap and snuck into third at the end, just two seconds ahead of Simmons and Mayo on corrected time.
Series results can be found here.