EAORA Janes Cup - Burnham to Medway
by Tim Cross 7 May 2009 12:30 BST
2 May 2009
Double Trouble & Spirit during the EAORA Jane's Cup © Chris Starr
Light and fickle winds was the forecast for the EAORA Jane's Cup race and the actuality was not far off.
All 3 classes were away cleanly for a deep spinnaker leg out of the Crouch toward the Whitaker Buoy. Class 3 yachts made the most of the ebb tide underneath them and it was some time until the faster yachts made much of a dent on their lead.
After rounding the Whitaker, boats came onto the wind and tactics came into play along the edges of the Maplin Channel into the Thames Estuary. Several vessels pushed the banks hard to avoid the still ebbing tide, with Heartbeat 3 going briefly aground at one point.
When the tide turned yachts once again found themselves on the wrong end of it on the beat to Oaze. At this point the wind really dropped and boats had to contend with breezes of 3-5knots with sizeable shifts. A degree of fleet compression occurred, but those that picked the shifts and the holes in the breeze made the best gains. Once round Oaze it was a run to South Shoebury where the course was shortened.
Alan Bartlett's Humphreys 11m “Inn Spirit” continued its impressive start to the season by winning Class 1. Duncan and Becky Haley's SJ320 “Double Trouble” won Class 2.
The standout performer, however, was Scott Kaczor's Mini Tonner “Shallot”, winning Class 3 and the race overall in only it's second appearance.