Royal Lymington Yacht Club Duo Series - Day 2

RLymYC Duo fleet drifting off the start in race 2 of the RLymYC Duo Series © Hannah Neve

A strong spring tide changing from flood to ebb two and ½ hours after the start of the second Duo Race of the year and with a somewhat variable promise on the weather front, and the forecast of "null wind" at midday, it was a case of planning for the worst - lots of food and refreshment - and hoping for the best as the fleet started off from Folkboats UK for a 'grand day out'. The strong spring tide and light airs at the start kept a lot of the more experienced sailors well back from the line, but a couple of the Lymington Handicap class had the nerve, or (more likely) naive luck, to hug close to the line and lead the fleet for at least 400 yards.

The whole fleet drifted along in the light 5 knot breeze on the tide towards Cowes with Jelly Baby in Class 1 electing to tack out towards the deeper water of the main channel. A lot of the fleet followed her but over the next hour or so it didn't pay as there was less breeze. Those boats that stayed on the mainland shore kept the breeze for longest, before everyone was becalmed around Lepe. Jibe, in Class 1, on the mainland shore hoisted their spinnaker in a desperate attempt to make some headway, and for a while it paid, before again the breeze died for them. The whole fleet drifted east on the tide, hoping it would last to the turning marks for each fleet (between Cowes and Portsmouth). Despite the efforts of Stena line and other VLCC's maintaining their right of way in the main Southampton channel, they floated on and enjoyed the sun.

The lead Class 1 boats, Blue Note and No Chance were gradually reeled in by Jelly Baby flying their new Code 0, a weapon in these conditions. Meanwhile Jibe had always planned to go north of the Bramble Bank and creeping along under spinnaker, they gradually pulled out from Blue Note which had already left No Chance far behind. Jibe rounded SE Ryde Middle and in the building ebb tide with more breeze finished at Folkboats UK 20 minutes ahead of Blue Note on the water and 45 minutes ahead on handicap! All was well in the LH Class until the tide turned. Some of the fleet managed to kedge up in Osborne Bay and take a leisurely lunch, others danced the Hokey Cokey filling their spinnakers in 1-3 knots of wind and gaining or losing against the building tide. Just as the RSYC decided to call it a day for their special cup day and send their sunburnt and frustrated sailors home, the wind filled in from the south west, building quickly to 12-15 knots, giving a nice downwind leg to the mark before the beat and a quick trip home with line honours going to Aventurera.

Unfortunately most Class 2 boats retired with the only boat that stayed the course, Robert Weguelin's Egor being just 4 minutes out of time at the 5pm time limit, but he did get a bottle prize for perseverance! John Turner on Dynamic said "Well done to the race officer for setting a good course on a difficult weather forecast".

Results can be found at rlymyc.org.uk/Sailing/Racing/Race_Results.aspx