Exmoor Beastie 3 hr pursuit at Wimbleball Sailing Club
by Paul Harwood 27 Mar 2015 10:16 GMT
22 March 2015
The Exmoor Beastie 2015 © Carrie Clear
On Sunday 22nd March Wimbleball Sailing Club hosted the annual Exmoor Beastie Pursuit. Sponsored by Exmoor Ales this event comprises the final leg of the new South West Series following events at Roadford and Starcross.
A good turnout of 54 boats with the larger classes drawn from the K1, D1, Challenger, Supernova and Blaze fleets. Along with the usual classes there were a few exotics rarely spotted amid the confines of Lake Wimbleball such as an International Canoe, RS800 and International Moth.
Race started with overcast conditions and a fairly steady 7 -10knots breeze from ENE.
As tradition dictates the course covered the whole of the lake over a distance of some 4 miles as the crow flies.
The Laser 4.7 of Daniel See was first off the line at 12.00 followed by a steady stream of starters until 13.00 when the penultimate boat, the RS800 helmed by Russ Gibbs with crew James Dawson, crossed the line. By the end of the first lap the Laser Radial of Ben Hawkes was holding the lead having overhauled the Challenger fleet. The RS300 of Steve Bolland was making rapid progress through the pack with the RS400 of Richard Cain and Barney Dearsley in hot pursuit.
As the International Canoe of Chris Hampe completed the first lap, the final boat, the foiling Moth of Chris Tilbnoon was finally released at the start and had the mammoth task of overhauling the fleet. A challenge not helped by a breeze that was becoming increasingly light and shifty.
By the end of lap 2 Ben Hawkes in the Laser Radial was narrowly holding the lead from Richard Cain's RS400 with the Challenger of Val MiIlward in 3rd place from Steve Bolland in the RS300 in 4th. The dying breeze was doing the late starters no favours and as the end of the race approached the leaders were sailing in clear air with the bulk of the pursuing fleet massing toward the Bessom bridge end of the lake.
Overall Results: (top ten)
| Pos | Boat Type | Sail No | Helm (& Crew) | Club |
|---|
| 1 | RS400 | 411 | Richard Cain & Barney Dearsley | Starcross YC |
| 2 | RS300 | 411 | Steve Bolland | Bristol Corinthian YC |
| 3 | Osprey | 1281 | Terry Curtis & Peter Greig | Weymouth SC |
| 4 | Laser Radial | 203910 | Ben Hawkes | Wimbleball SC |
| 5 | Supernova | 1092 | Ian Horlock | Exe SC |
| 6 | Phantom | 1405 | Andy Clear | Wimbleball SC |
| 7 | Challenger | 257 | Val Millward | Rutland SC |
| 8 | K1 | 75 | Simon Jones | Wimbleball SC |
| 9 | Hornet | 2154 | Richard Garry & Sam Woolner | Starcross YC |
| 10 | Flying 15 | 3453 | Bill Anderson & Sally Farrant | Roadford SC |