Crouch Yacht Club Hydd Gwyn Race 4
by Phillip Harbott 28 Apr 2013 22:24 BST
28 April 2013
The final race of the Crouch Yacht Club's Hydd Gwyn Series took place today in brilliant sunshine and chilly southerly. Again, Just Is and Encore were the only two boats out to challenge for the trophy. Encore needed to win to take the series, as Just Is had a race in hand.
The course took the boats up river to Cliff Canewdon twice, before coming back down river to finish; the tide had turned, so it was a fair tide start. Encore started her timed run further away from the line than Just Is, and as she crossed Just Is, they flicked round, and also raced for the line. The gun went, with both boats 10 seconds shy of the line.
Encore was marginally ahead, but to leeward of Just Is as the boats fetched up to Creeksea Bar, where Encore put her tack in a little late, touching the mud as she went through the touch. This allowed Just Is to get back at Paul Trueman's Corby 29, and they promptly put in a tack off, having seen Encore touch the mud.
The boats then cracked off at Number 15, before hardening up round Cliff, to beat the short distance to Canewdon. Encore rounded Canewdon, and hoisted their AP spinnaker, which they managed to carry all the way past Black Point and down towards Number 13 before dropping. They had a bit of a struggle to get the kite down, the sheets and guys came unclipped, but using the lee of the mainsail, they managed to get it down without too many more problems. Just Is came down under their pink kite, dropping soon after Black Point, hardening up and going along the south shore, unlike Encore, who had taken the north shore. This allowed Encore to pull out a lead in excess of 5 minutes on the water.
Encore lee bowed the tide to Number 13 then fetched to Cliff for another beat to Canewdon. They encountered problem on the hoist, when the sheets and guys again detached themselves from the clew. However, the crew managed to grab hold of the spinnaker, de power it, and reattach them.
They again took the North Shore, but the leg was shier this time, so they couldn't hold their kite for as long. They further increased their on the water lead.
On passing Number 13 for the last time, Just Is tried to set her pink kite, but had trouble keeping it full, and soon dropped it again to finish under white sails.
On corrected time, Paul Trueman's Encore won from Frank Curtis and Carole Pickett's J95 Just Is, which gave Encore the Hydd Gwyn on count back from Just Is. Prize giving followed in the club, with Vice Commodore Phillip Harbott and Penny Pawley presenting the trophy.
Next week the Crouch Yacht Club is running the Harrison Shield, with Inn Spirit and Amazon travelling to West Mersea to take part in the back to back EAORA races, to kick off the Club's campaign to retain the EAORA club championship.