Mumm 30 Europeans at Royal Southern Yacht Club - Day 2

Peter De Ridder's 'Mean Machine' leads the Mumm 30 Europeans after two days racing in Hamble © Jess Dobbs

The Solent shows off some great conditions on day two of the Mumm 30 Europeans © Jess Dobbs

Report from Mark Jardine on Mean Machine

The Solent delivered and Race Officer Tony Lovell took full advantage of some good Solent conditions on day 2 of the Mumm 30 European championships.

After a short postponement ashore the fleet were sent out into a building Southeasterly breeze. The first general recall lead to the I flag being raised and order was restored for the restart. With a foul tide on the beat, those boats that started at the pin end of the line to get into the mainland shore took the advantage. Early leader was Mike Budd on 'Gul Seven' but they were overtaken by Peter De Ridder's 'Mean Machine' who took command of the race. The wind was generally dropping off on the second run and the committee signalled for a shortened course at the windward mark with 'Mean Machine' winning and 'Gul Seven' coming in second. While returning to the start area it became apparent just how good this decision was as the running boats suddenly became head-to-wind on the incoming Southwesterly sea breeze - this championship has a race team that are on the ball.

Full report from the rest of the day's racing to follow...

Report from Steve Arkley

It looks like it is going to be a long night in the Protest Room as competitors returned from a days racing comprising 3 races towards the Mumm30 European Championships.

After a short postponement keeping the crews onshore whilst the breeze built from the South East, Race Officer Tony Lovell got Race 3 underway after one general recall. Most of the fleet headed hard on starboard tack towards the Hillhead shoreline with the advantage given to those that chose to start at the pin end. Tacking their way up the left hand side of the course where the tidal effect was less than the rest of the course, it was no surprise to see Mean Machine helmed by Peter de Ridder lead around the windward mark from Mike Budd's Gul Seven with Donata Bubnys's K-Yote Kid in 3rd. With the wind being more stable than the previous day the race became something of a procession with the 3 leaders holding station. However Race Officer Tony Lovell showed considerable experience by shortening the course as the leaders headed for the windward mark for the 3rd time. Aware that the breeze was now starting to fill in from the western end of the Solent it would only be a matter of time before the wind on the course fell away. The decision made and it was only the last 5 boats that fell into the lighter breeze just before they finished so it was a good call by Lovell. Ridder won the race followed by Budd and on the line Louis Browne's Asterix took 3rd from Bubnys.

The new South Westerly breeze stabilised at 10-13 knots and as expected with the current behind the fleet there were several boats over the line at the start. The right of centre was the preferred way up the beat and Robert Barr's Kanati lead around the windward mark from Peter de Ridder' Mean Machine with Simon Pritchard-Jones's Team Raymarine in 3rd. The fleet fanned out downwind but by the leeward mark Jimmy Pahun in Region Ile de France had taken the lead from Mean Machine and Kanati now in 3rd. Up the next windward leg and Kanati had moved up to 2nd with Region Ile de France still in the lead. Vincent Biarnes in Cotes d'Armour moved up to 3rd and on the final downwind leg Kanati retook the lead to win from Region Ile de France.

The final race of the day and Race 6 of the Championship and the wind had dropped slightly, Team Raymarine lead to the first mark from Triple P of Fezi Yazdi and Bite the Bullet owned by Richard Bonham-Christie. At the leeward mark after the leaders had passed there was a great deal of barging at the mark with many boats having to duck out of a mark rounding. Things were getting tighter on the water and at the next windward mark Bite the Bullet tangled with the mark whilst trying to carry out a tight manoeuvre and is subject to a protest being heard tonight. Then TripleP coming into the windward mark on port hit Kanati resulting in Paul Grant bowman on Kanati going head first over the side though he did manage to hang on to a stanchion whilst the force of the impact smashed the tiller onto Robert Barr 's legs, again there is a protest pending.

The race was finally won by Mean Machine followed by Asterix and Team Raymarine.

After 6 races and subject to protest Mean Machine is starting to open a gap by sailing consistently well followed by Bite the Bullet and Gul Seven

Results after day 2: