Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat Championship 2007 - Weekend 5
by Steve Sleight 25 Sep 2007 09:59 BST
22-23 September 2007
A healthy 15 Darings for the fifth weekend of the Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat Championship 2007 © David Harrison / TKZ
Four good races for round five of the Championship
The penultimate round of the Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat Championship was hosted by the Royal Yacht Squadron this weekend.
On Saturday, a flat calm in the morning saw a double AP hoisted at the Squadron, signalling
the crews to stay ashore but eventually a breath of wind allowed the Squadron to send the
fleets afloat for a start to the east of the Brambles Bank.
Only two fleets turned out for racing on Saturday. The Darings had a healthy fifteen boat
turnout but the Dragons could only muster three boats for their racing.
The wind was only force two from the west-southwest for the first start of the day and the
committee wisely set a short windward leeward course.
The Darings were first away and on the first beat the boats that stayed left found more
pressure and a left hand shift. Darling led at the end of the first round ahead of Defender with Dolphin lying third. Dauntless, so often the boat to beat in this fleet, was lying ninth at this stage. The top three held their lead to the finish while behind them there was some place changing, with Dauntless showing her speed to climb to fifth.
The wind increased for the second race and the sun came out to give great sailing conditions.
At the start, the Daring fleet pushed the line hard, with several caught over, including Double
Knot who failed to answer the recall. Dauntless led the fleet around the windward mark and was also leading as they approached it on the second round. She wasn't having it all her own way though, as Defender was threatening her lead.
As the two approached the windward mark for the second time Dauntless was on starboard
but not laying the mark. Defender approached on port and couldn't pass clear ahead so tacked
to leeward rather than passing astern. This was a mistake as it allowed Dauntless to hold her
past the layline before tacking, ensuring that she led around the top mark.
Down the run, Dauntless went right while Defender went left. Approaching the leeward mark
for the last time, Defender had grabbed the lead but Dauntless tried to dive inside at the last
minute. But in doing so she fouled Defender and was forced to take penalty turns while four
other boats sailed past, dropping her to sixth at the finish.
Defender sailed away to take the winner's gun with Doublet coming in second and Darling
third.
Only three Dragons came out to play on Saturday and they didn't seem keen on close quarters
racing. Up the first beat of the first race each went its own way with one going left, one right,
and one up the middle. At the end of the first round, Owen Pay's Njord had a good lead from Kedron with Supremacy lying third. Njord led to the finish and while Supremacy got through Kedron to
cross the line second she was subsequently disqualified for not going through the start finish
line at the end of the first round.
Njord also won the second race but this time it was Supremacy who took second with Kedron
third.
Sunday
Sunday brought more wind with Force 4-5 from the south-southwest. Twelve Darings started
the first race with the pin end favoured and some boats pushing the line too hard. Defender
answered the recall but Deimos and Dido were both disqualified.
Dashing was first around the top mark and she still lead at the bottom mark from Doublet and
Defiant. Although Doublet kept the pressure, on Dashing held her lead to the finish with
Doublet taking second and Audax moving up through the fleet to claim the third spot.
At the second start it was Defender which won the favoured pin end and led the fleet to the
left of the beat. As the fleet approached the windward mark the wind bent left to lift those on
port tack up to the mark and to punish those who had either gone too far left or had taken the
right of middle option. Defiant led around the mark ahead of Defender and Dynamite with the
rest of the fleet in close pursuit.
At the windward mark the second time around the order of the top three remained the same
but they had opened up quite a gap to Audax which had climbed from seventh to claim fourth
place. At the leeward mark, Defiant still led Defender but it was close, while Dynamite in third had lost ground and was no longer in contention for the top spot.
Up the final beat to the finish Defiant covered Defender tack for tack to take a well earned
win. Dynamite took third and Audax was fourth.
The same three Dragons came to the line on Sunday. At the end of the first round of the day's
first race it was Kedron which led ahead of Supremacy with Njord in third. By the second leeward mark Supremacy had taken the lead with Njord moving up to second and Kedron dropping to third, positions which remained unchanged at the finish.
In the second race, Supremacy again led with Njord second and Kedron bringing up the rear.
On the second run Njord closed on Supremacy and challenged for the lead and eventually the
pressure proved too much. Njord took the race win with Supremacy second and Kedron third.
The final weekend of the Red Funnel series will be run by the Royal Corinthian Yacht Club
on 6-7 October.
For full results visit cowes.result.vg/public/regattaindex