Open Frostbite Series at Maylandsea Bay Sailing Club - Day 5
by Alan Jackson 16 Mar 2010 19:55 GMT
14 March 2010
Four weeks of pent up competitor itching was let loose as the start flag dropped in the Maylandsea Bay Frostbite series race 5. High cloud, sun and biting northwest wind rattling through the rigging as the fleet busied themselves in a ‘bring it on’ contest to get back hanging over the gunwales.
The fleet gathered at the outer north end of the line on starboard tack hard against the submerged remains of the spit with the tide pushing to the line and it was Peter in a Laser who blasted off the line at a goodly pace with Malcolm and Ian ‘Laser 4000’ close behind. In a moment of excitement Peter caressed the first rounding mark whilst over lapped and glided into a 360o turn sliding out the back door. Malcolm and Ian ‘4000’, now lead boat and in a tasty squall, sped off wind down the short leg to a jibe at 0 rounding mark only to find themselves victims of the late tide, shallow water and a full on farming session, also going out the back door. Jacko and Lorna ‘Merlin’ now lead boat and at full pelt approaching Spit-rounding mark to find the marina tugboat pushing a large mud laden batch towards the same spit channel mark from the opposite direction.
Jacko’s temptation to pass in front quickly evaporated as he connected with a pair of big white eyeballs, panic struck, pressed against the tug’s windscreen. The rounding of the mark, batch and tug put Jacko below the windward lay line to the next mark Bay and opened the door the Dave and Ron in the Fireball.
Dave and Ron meant to balance the books and shut down the Jacko Lorna jam pot run of luck.
The wind now 18 knots gusting 22 and a course designed for the Laser fleet with shy two sail reaching meant that it was race on.
The wind ward legs that was, saw Dave and Ron footing of at great speed while Jacko and Lorna hiked hard and sailing high to windward. It was all close racing till the final knock out blow came as at last there was a leg you could get a kite on and with the Fireball having 150 metres lead the kite was thrown up only to find that it had been rigged sideways up. It was race over finishing with a 3rd behind Martin Tarling sailing a Laser and 2nd in race two.
The Laser race was another full on affair between Martin and Peter. They appeared to be attached by a lengthy piece of string planing along the reaches and pushing hard up the beats, mostly lead by Martin, but some real pressure spilling out as Martin’s foot totally rapped in main sheet in a full on jibe was rapidly dragged to the back of the boat and with boat management in the back row Peter was through and away.
Martin regaining control started to wind Peter back in and as the boat length closed Peter got trapped in to rubber necking and took his eye of the wind just long enough for one error to occur and Martin was back in the lead to cross the line with a 20 seconds lead to finish with a 2nd and a 3rd.
As for Jacko and Lorna it was a tough day, which they survived, finishing with two bullets.
Final race day is March 21st at 14:00 for races 7 and 8. More information at www.maylandseabay-sc.org.uk
Results after Day 5:
1st Alan Jackson and Lorna Laval, Merlin, 4pts
2nd Peter Playle, Laser, 12pts
3rd David Islin and Ron Suffield, Fireball, 15pts
4th Jenny Ball, Laser Radial, 16pts
5th Kevin Whittle and Philip Spill, Fireball, 21pts