Miracle Nationals at Mayflower Sailing Club - Day 5

Mettam and Phillips retain title

The formula for the winner was simple with 3 races to go. Martyn & Daniel Lewis needed 5 points or less from 3 races, and Sam Mettam & Geoff Phillips needed to put 3 boats in between them in one race. The light North-Easterly wind should have allowed for 2 races.

In Race 8, Richard & Harrison Pye lead to the windward mark followed by Team Lewis and Tracy Amos and Brian Mumford, with a strong tide setting down the course, it paid to stay high on the first reach. Unfortunately the leaders were caught out by the wind dropping as they hit the main channel and were left having to tack for the mark. Amos/Mumford played the mark perfectly to take the lead. Mettam/Phillips sailed through down the second reach followed by Dave Butler and Andy Yates and Team Lewis who took advantage of the new pressure. Up the second beat Team Lewis hit the left hand corner whilst a right-hand shift allowed Richard and Katheryn Byne to sail into second place. Mettam/Phillips held their lead to the finish followed by the Bynes and Butler/Yates. With Team Lewis finishing 8th, Mettam/Phillips retained their title. The wind switched off after the top 20 had finished meaning a lot of the sailors in the Silver and Bronze fleets were timed out.

The wind filled in again but didn’t last for long enough to allow Race 9, so the 2nd discard still hasn’t taken effect. Races 9 and 10 are scheduled for the final day tomorrow.

Results after Day 5: (top ten, 8 races)