2ndhanddinghies RS200 SW Ugly Tour at Penarth Yacht Club

RS200 SW Ugly Tour at Penarth © PYC

Yes, sunny!!!!!!! Go west to South Wales for fine weather and stonking good breeze as Penarth YC hosted the third round of the 2ndhanddinghies RS200 Ugly Tour. 13 visiting boats made the trip to find after a gloomy morning pleasant sunshine and a decent South westerly. Afloat and there was more breeze then there looked from the shore and it was lumpy and patchy.

Race 1 was off in 14-16 knots and Ian Sharps/Ellie Martin led but Matt Mee/Emma Norris gybed at the right time to get the pressure and jump into the lead which they never lost. With the wind building disaster hit Sharp/Martin when their tiller ext broke on the final beat but in full planning conditions Ellie hiked like a badger to keep them in third on the final run with John Teague/Louise Fisher second.

Race 2 and it was getting a little feisty under now clear blue skies, it was full on downwind in 16-23 knots. Sharp/Martin again led but ton the third run Mee/Norris and Teague/Fisher both gybed early and found shift/pressure you dream of to jump into 1.2. With Sharp/Martin having a splash pause Teague/Fisher pushed hard but could not find a way round Mee/Norris. Star result came from bronze divisions Sarah and David Green who stayed close to the leaders to record a great 5th place.

PRO Jeff Dyer did a great job in turning races round rapidly but it was still a reduced fleet that started the final race in the same strength wind with a fight for second place overall. Teague/Fisher had the early upper hand but Sharp/Martin were through on the second beat even whilst sheeting off the boom after the main ratchet block came off but neither had kept an eye on Pete Vincent/Naomi Bubbles Gregory who played the changing tide right to take the lead. When Teague went splash at full tilt it was all down to could Sharp/Martin catch Vincent/Bubbles to win but the old boy knew where he was going and won the race also snatching third overall in the process.

Liz Teague/Darren McNamara from Exe/BCYC were 5th overall and won the silver division. The Greens from Llandegfedd were 7th overall and won the bronze division. A great day very well organised ay Penarth YC.

Matt Mee/Emma Norris now have a vice like grip on the 2ndhanddinghies Ugly Tour with three events left. Somebody is probably going to have to score 3 bullets in these to beat them!

Overall Results: (top ten)