Royal Lymington Yacht Club Monday Evening Dinghy Series - Day 2
by Ann Brunskill 5 May 2015 15:56 BST
4 May 2015
The Merlin Rocket of Mark Barwell and Louise Johnson in full voice during the Lymington Monday Evening Series © Ann Brunskill
Wet and shifty in the Western Solent
Possibly for the first time ever RLmYC Race Officer Ken black flagged a start in the second of the very popular Monday Evening Dinghy Series races sponsored by Neil Pryde in association with Nick Cox Chandlery. 63 out of 100 boats entered came to the start.
18 Gold Fleet Scows came to the line under lowering skies, the ever-present threat of rain and a light and shifty ENE breeze for a long windward/leeward course which was made easier by the flooding tide. The strength of the tide led to most people being too early so a general recall was signalled at the start, the first that anyone can remember in a Scow race. Everyone got away cleanly in the restart and settled down to the beat. Most opted to tack well out into the Solent to catch more current while some worked the shifts. After two laps the race was finished at the east mark in the river. Chris Cecil-Wright and one of his family were the winners ahead of Rory and Alex Paton with Karl Thorn and Caroline Driscoll, third, despite flying a spinnaker. The Silver fleet having been kept waiting by the antics of the Gold fleet.
A very select seven boats, all but one single-handers, made it to the line, making light of the incessant rain and shifting easterly wind. The strengthening flood tide made it easy to overstand the windward mark; Sebastian Chamberlain gave a masterclass in getting it right both times. Meanwhile, Dubbie Robinson and Jane Cook established an early lead which they maintained until the finish. A ding-dong battle for second place resulted in Robin Taunt in just pipping Sebastian Chamberlain to the line.
Nick Simmons and Giles Chipperfield in the D-Ones took first and second in the Fast handicap fleet with the Martins third in the RS400. Once the McEwens are back in action it will be interesting to see how the D-Ones perform against the RS800. Sarah Jarman and Max Moyles' 420 had a storming race finishing one second ahead of John Claridge and Peter Saunders in the Seafly. The Slow handicap fleet sailed the same course as the Scows and Freya Cox mastered the conditions in the Optimist to finish three minutes ahead of George Williams and William Homewood in the RS Feva.
Full results at rlymyc.org.uk/Sailing/Racing/Race_Results.aspx