Lymington Town Sailing Club Early Points Series - Day 1
by Alastair Beeton 11 Mar 2014 13:07 GMT
9 March 2014
Fast Fleet start in race 1 of the LTSC Early Points Series © Beverly Johns / LPB Aerial Imagery
Fresh breeze for the first race
Thirty two boats responded to the invitation to gather in the vicinity of the Lymington Town Sailing Club's starting boat, Baverstock, last Sunday to contest the first race of the LTSC Early Points Series.
Despite an earlier forecast of light winds, a fresh breeze of around 14 knots held for the duration of the race. The southerly breeze meant that the competitors had a long beat into the wind to get to Baverstock, so providing a good work out before the racing even started.
Race Officer Geoff Havers set a challenging course for the first race of the season. The competitors were sent on a triangular course making use of two movable marks and the recently laid 'Black & Orange'.
Following the start the fleets sailed upwind, on a long beat to a movable mark, before a long run to 'Black and Orange' in preparation for a short reach to the second movable mark. The upwind leg enabled crews to stretch their leg mussels as they hiked out to keep their boats flat. With cobwebs blown away the downwind leg came as a welcome relief providing some rest bite before the reach.
The third leg of the course allowed all boats to rocket along on the plane before starting the up wind leg again. There were a few victims to the weather with crews seen to be checking the underside of their boats from the water. Some competitors showed signs of start of season blues as they forgot to sail through the line on each rounding.
Race 1 Results:
Fast Fleet
1st Nigel Walbank (Musto Skiff)
2nd David Gautier (Contender)
3rd Nathan Batchelor & Tim Knight (VX)
Medium Fleet
1st Richard Russell & Sylvia Weger (Tasar)
2nd Mark Barwell & Louise Johnson (Merlin Rocket)
3rd Myles Mence (Blaze)