Touareg Laser SB3 GP at Royal Southern Yacht Club - Day 2
by Eddie Mays 21 May 2007 07:42 BST
19-20 May 2007
Overnight the weather pattern changed completely and Sunday morning dawned bright and sunny with clear blue skies, and no wind. By 11:45 Tony Lovell had found enough Southerly breeze off the Meon shore to set a course and the fleet started cleanly.
By the top mark Russell Peters held a small lead over the rest of the front-runners. The main priority on the run back was to keep clean air and sail the angles correctly. Peters went to the starboard hand gate buoy and everyone followed him. The resultant bunching left many boats at a distinct disadvantage starting the beat back. Duncan Pryde sailing '3-some' spotted the problem and went to the port hand gate, got clean air and a lee-bow tide and went from the 30s to 15th at the top mark.
On the 2nd lap the wind, such as it was started to fade, and, as always, those in front extended their lead. Overnight leader, Glenn Bourke, chipped away at those in front and finished 5th but some distance behind Peters. Very frustratingly many boats did not manage to beat the time limit as they struggled to find any movement at all. At 13:10 with no sign of any breeze anywhere in the central Solent all racing was abandoned for the day. Glenn Bourke's 5th place was enough to secure him the overall win ahead of Russell Peters. The next round of the Touareg Grand Prix series is at Seaview on the Isle of Wight in a fortnight's time.