Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series - Race 4
by Phillip Harbott 25 Oct 2016 22:21 BST
23 October 2016
Race 3 of the Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series © Russ Cashel
Ten boats were on the start line for the fourth race of eight in the Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series. Light and fickle winds starting in the North and becoming more Easterly through the race ensured close racing. On the gun, Mark Lyons in Martinique was straddling the line, perpendicular to the bank and called OCS. He was held up from returning as other boats set their spinnakers for the shy reach up river, but did find a gap and clear the line, leaving him a little way off the leaders.
Glorious Fools owned by Digger Harden and Pete Jackson got a great start, and led the fleet up river, having got their large pink spinnaker up and full quickly. Duncan Haley's Corby 29, Double Trouble got into second on the water, chasing hard on the heels of the J80. Mantra, Phillip Harbott's Aphrodite 101 started on the South shore and reached across to the North Shore at the corner by the Yacht Harbour, slotting into fourth behind the Brooks' Dehler 33 Sapphire. In IRC, Duncan got through Glorious Fools after rounding Canewdon to head back down to Number 9, but couldn't shake the J80 off. Sapphire worked hard and stayed close to the leading two, but couldn't get close enough to save their time.
In the Local Handicap fleet, Rupert Brown's Contessa 32 Zora sailed well to stay in touch with Grace and Danger the SJ27 owned by Roger Noble, Andrew Courts and Stephen Gosling and Martinique, the Dehler 34 owned by Mark Lyons. Dave Smith in his T24 Goosander sailed well, and was close to Andy Heel's Bella Vela, who were just two up. Contessa of Weston, Ian Hewitt 's Contessa 26 also sailing two up raced well to finish in sixth.
In IRC on corrected time Glorious Fools won with Double Trouble second, Sapphire third and Mantra fourth. In local handicap, Rupert Brown's Contessa Zora won by 29 seconds from Grace and Danger, with Martinique third, Goosander fourth. Bella Vela took fifth followed by Contessa of Weston.