International 14 PoW Week: Lowestoft Bowl Trophy Race 1
by Isabella Hartland 30 Jun 2015 11:02 BST
27 June - 3 July 2015
Glen Truswell and Sam Pascoe during race 1 of the Lowestoft Bowl Trophy at PoW Week © Isabella Hartland
The 2015 Prince of Wales Week started in Abersoch with a lively 15-20 knots. A cautious fleet all hit the start line a little late but at speed and surprisingly upright!
Most of the fleet who headed left found the gybe mark. With still no sight of the windward mark we decided it was time to tack. Doug Pattison and Mark Tait had a small lead around the windward mark closely followed by Archie Massey and Glen Truswell. Truswell went splat on the first gybe and Massey passed Pattison down the run, pulling out a comfortable lead. Battles continued throughout the fleet, as the boats fought their way through the chop, trying to avoid being caught out by a rogue wave.
Truswell caught and passed Pattison on the first reach, only to let them through with two more capsizes. Andy Fitzgerald briefly got onto second, before a massive pitch pole. Aussie Scott pulled of a perfect two sail gybe to prove that the Aussie's love the breeze. With a new design by the World Champion proving that the fleet is constantly developing, Truswell managed to creep past the Aussies into third.
The first day of racing caught out many boats who had not been on the water much, as well as some who had pushed their boats to the brink this year. Katie Nurton's final downwind leg left her with a broken mast; the fleet showed what they were made of when she capsized off the beach and a team of around 10 dived in to swim her back to shore.