Barratt Homes Plymouth Race Week 2011

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Barratt Homes Plymouth Race Week 2011 - Day 2

by Robin Price 9 Jul 2011 21:36 BST 7-10 July 2011

Day 2 of Barratt Homes Plymouth Race Week © Tom Gruitt / www.fotoboat.com

The second days racing at Barratt Homes Plymouth Race Week saw high excitement and drama as big wind and seas tested all the classes, both inside and outside the breakwater. All the courses saw the breeze well into the twenties and towards the end of the day touching thirty.

South of the breakwater the IRC classes had a fabulous days racing with Nick and Annie Haigh’s ‘Dark and Steamy’ carrying on Thursdays form taking three bullets ahead of Jasper Crips’ ‘Ayala’. In IRC B, ‘Antix’, John Allen, took three bullets to remain at the top of the table followed closely by Dave Allen’s ‘Rainmaker’. Broaching was the order of the day and in race four, several boats went to the aid of a man overboard one of which, Neil Tranthan’s ‘Elusive’ who suffered damage for her efforts, was given redress for the last two races keeping her firmly in third place.

Inside the breakwater the Sports-boat fleet provide a spectacular days entertainment with planning and broaching aplenty. On course 1 the Seascape’s continue to be dominated by Jochem Visser who added a further three bullets, with local sailor Pete Wanstall, who didn’t perform quite as consistently as Thursday hanging onto second. He’s just ahead of the Croatian boat helmed by Ratko Stibric who, despite not starting the first race, had two seconds bring him up from the bottom of the table into third place. This event forms the Seascape National Championships.

Toe in the Water’s J80 ‘Big Toe’ helmed by Sam Thompson now has five bullets out of the three competing putting him fourth in the overall sports-boat table behind Peter Wanstall, Adam Littlejohn sailing an Open 5.7 and Jochem Visser in poll position.

Again there was close racing in the J24 fleet with Daryl Conyers coming out just one point ahead of Jamie Watts while Adrian Bennett continued a steady midfield battle to remain in third place. The MOCRA fleet, who managed to complete two races yesterday, is lead for a second day by Simon Baker.

The race village marquee was packed out and over four hundred revelers danced the night away to the electrifying Mad Dog McCrea. Thursday nights auction in aid of the regattas charity ‘Help for Heroes’ under the flamboyant hammer of Graham Barton, raised over £3,000.