Crouch Yacht Club Harrison Shield

Crouch YC Harrison Shield © John Pawley

The Crouch Yacht Club saw 5 boats brave the chilly North Easterly wind on Saturday to race the first two races in the three race weekend series. The course that was set for race one took the boats up the Roach, and the start against a strong flood tide.

The boats were close to the line and beat down river, with Tony and Chuffy Merewether in Amazon, out for their first race of the season keeping up with the higher rated Inn Spirit, helmed by Ian Hart. Duncan Haley in his SJ320 Double Trouble also kept in close contact with them during the beat down to Greenward, with Sapphire and Grace and Danger in fourth and fifth on the water. The boats went up to Jubilee before reaching to Redward under spinnakers and running back up river. Inn Spirit, owned by Alan Bartlett, took line honours, with Amazon just over two minutes behind. Double Trouble and Sapphire were racing closely throughout the race. On corrected time, Amazon won by 27 seconds, with Inn Spirit second, Double Trouble third, Sapphire fourth and the SJ27 Grace and Danger fifth.

Race two saw the most fantastic start, with all boats bang on the line. The same course was set and the boats beat down river against the slackening tide. Amazon ran up river in the lead and only lost out to Inn Spirit on the final beat down from Number 13, with Ian Hart and his crew on inn Spirit finishing just 13 seconds ahead of the lower rated boat. Double Trouble, owned by Duncan and Beccy Haley again enjoyed very close racing with Martin and Kirsty Brooks' Sapphire, but the lower rated SJ320 beat in Sapphire, with Stephen Gosling sailing Grace and Danger, owned by Andrew Courts, Roger Noble and him fifth. On corrected time, Tony and Chuffy Merewether's Amazon were just under three minutes ahead of Inn Spirit, who beat Double Trouble by just 32 seconds on corrected time. Sapphire was fourth with Grace and Danger fifth.

On Sunday, the five yachts returned with a much warmer south easterly breeze. The fleet again went up the Roach, but this time did Greenward, Roach, Redward, Roach, before coming up to Number 13, with the course shortened after that. Inn Spirit got away at the start, and Double Trouble stayed up with Amazon on the leg down to Greenward. As the boats came up river, Inn Spirit had the lead, with Amazon behind. Double Trouble were still in close contact with the two higher rated boats, with Sapphire opting not to set a kite on the final leg fourth and Grace and Danger fifth.

On corrected time, Duncan and Beccy Haley's SJ320 Double Trouble won by 14 seconds from Amazon who beat Inn Spirit by just two seconds. Sapphire were fourth and Grace and Danger fifth. Overall, Amazon won with four points, with Double Trouble second, tying on points with Inn Spirit, but counting a first. Sapphire were fourth and Grace and Danger fifth. Phillip Harbott presented the Trophy to Tony Merewether in the Club after racing, with Duncan Haley receiving the runner's up glassware.