XOD Wednesday Series at Royal Lymington Yacht Club - Race 5
by Roy Froud 26 May 2016 10:30 BST
25 May 2016
A light breeze from the East and a strong ebb tide greeted thirteen XODs that raced on Wednesday. Ken Hay and race team set an inshore windward / leeward course starting from the Platform and up to mark G, Baker Marine. Malcolm McKeag was also assisting in his fine motor boat Chinook.
This was a race when leaders slipped to the back and tail enders emerged at the front at various stages such was the trickiness of the conditions. Boats that did consistently well managed to find a good line close enough in to the shore - but not too close - and were able to build up speed without having to tack out into tide too often.
Barry Dunning in X176, Crumpet, showed the fleet how it was done with impressive boat speed along the shore closely pursued by Robin Balme in X117, X-Ray, Rory Paton in X48, XL, and Joey Hutchinson in X183, Condor, also showing impressive speed. A number of boats ran aground on the mud with crews and helms having to jump over the side and push their boats off. Stuart Jardine in Lone Star, X119, was making good progress up to the front of the fleet and got up top second place before becoming firmly lodged on a ridge of mud!
After their starboard tack line into Tanners Bay, the leaders had to decide when to tack our for mark G, Baker Marine. Crumpet decided to tack earlier than the chasing group and, whilst initially looking ok, fell foul of the strong ebb tide and had to tack again in deeper water pushing her back into third. This allowed XL to round ahead of Condor with X32 Ibex clawing up to fourth and Lone Star overtaking X-Ray on the last section of the run and gybe before the river entrance.
The good ship Chinook was employed to shorten course in the faltering breeze, which did involve a certain dark and stormy getting capsized, however her efforts were much appreciated by the passing fleet which went some way to remedying the catastrophe!
Results after Day 5:
1st X48 XL - Rory Paton
2nd X183 Condor - Joey Hutchinson
3rd X175 Crumpet - Barry Dunning
4th X32 Ibex - Paul Woodman & Oliver James
5th X119 Lone Star - Stuart Jardine