Haven Ports Yacht Club Spring Series - Race 6
by Robert Leggett 12 May 2008 09:49 BST
11 May 2008
The spring series came right down to the wire at the Haven Ports © Judy Cross
The spring series came right down to the wire at the Haven Ports, with Alan Major’s Swan 41 Moustique just one point ahead of Robert Leggett’s Impala 28 Monkey Business going into the last race on Sunday. Taking no chances with the light airs, race officer Bob Browne took the fleet down river to start in Harwich Harbour.
At the class two start, Nigel Theadom’s J-80 Jeronimo led away, making great use of their asymmetric spinnaker on the tight reach out to Pennyhole Buoy. Richard Hayward’s Oyster 37 Golden Phoenix did not make such good work with her spinnaker, managing to launch it upside-down… Moustique made her move on the beat to Foxes buoy, overhauling Jeronimo to take the lead. In class one, it was once again Gerry Bullard’s Dehler 36SQ Suds leading the way, making her way through the tail end of class two at the end of the beat.
As the race went on, the times would be crucial between the two title contenders. At Foxes, Moustique needed to lead Monkey Business by around 6 minutes to allow for the handicap difference. She led by around 7 minutes 30 seconds. After the tight reach to Pye End buoy, Moustique needed a lead of just under 8 minutes, and led Monkey Business by over 9; so the title seemed to be going Moustique’s way with two legs remaining.
Moustique tacked straight around Pye End buoy onto port tack, to start the lop-sided beat to Outer Ridge. Next boat around Pye End was Jeronimo, who stood on on starboard tack towards the harbour, in order to take advantage of the more favourable tide in the mouth of the river. Faced with this choice, and the need to take a flyer, Monkey Business crucially decided to follow Jeronimo’s lead. At Outer Ridge buoy, Moustique needed a lead of just under 11 minutes, which is almost exactly what she had. There were just seconds in it at the start of the reach back to the finish in Harwich Harbour.
On this final reach, Golden Phoenix nearly eliminated herself by forgetting to go around Landguard buoy, but made a last minute correction to save herself.
Crossing the line, there was no way of telling whether it was Moustique or Monkey Business; it would have to wait for the race officer to work out the final times. In the end, it all came down to two seconds, Monkey Business beating Moustique by this tiny margin. This meant a tie on series points, which would be broken on count-back. Both boats had one first place each, but by virtue of her final result Monkey Business had two second places to Moustique’s one, taking the series by the most slender of margins.
Meanwhile, almost un-noticed, Suds chalked up a well-deserved maiden win, making it an incredible six different winners in six races. Overall, a tight series that started in snow and ended in glorious sunshine!
Race 6 Results:
Overall
1st Suds
2nd Monkey Business
3rd Moustique
4th Jeronimo
5th Hysterix, X-332, Bill Rees
6th Red Macaw, Sigma 38, John & Jackie Edwards
7th White Lightning, Projection 762, Mick Fuller
8th Ariane, Sunfast 37, John Brooking & Paul Trudgett
Class 1
1st Suds
2nd Hysterix
3rd Red Macaw
4th Ariane
Class 2
1st Monkey Business
2nd Moustique
3rd Jeronimo
4th White Lightning
Overall Series Results:
Overall
1st Monkey Business, 14pts
2nd Moustique, 14pts
3rd Hysterix, 32pts
4th Jeronimo, 33pts
5th White Lightning, 35pts
6th Red Macaw, 35pts
Class 1
1st Hysterix, 16pts
2nd Red Macaw, 18pts
3rd Panther, J-105, Andrew Tristram, 24pts
Class 2
1st Monkey Business 7pts
2nd Moustique, 9pts
3rd Jeronimo, 19pts