Royal Lymington Yacht Club Monday Evening Dinghy Series - Day 5

Class 1 reaching down the Lymington River on day 5 the Lymington Monday Evening Serie © Ann Brunskill

A shifting wind challenged the competitors and Ado Jardine's race team alike in the fifth Monday Evening Dinghy race of the season. The afternoon's light south westerly breeze was swept away just before the first start by a new northwester, blowing the boats straight down the river. Several racers were caught the wrong side of the start line and had to beat back, including Optimist national champion Vita Heathcoat in her 420. On the way down the river as usual the boats met the incoming Wightlink ferry, which proved a watershed for the Medium handicap fleet: those who went east of it gained enormously over the more conventional westward route, as the wind continued to veer. Mark Barwell and Lou Johnson in their Merlin judged this perfectly, hugging the east bank of the river to lead all the way to the finish, but John Claridge and Pete Sanders in their Seafly held on close enough to take the win on corrected time, just ahead of Richard Russell and Sylvia Weger in their Tasar.

The Slow handicap was won in fine style by Dirk and Jonny Rogers in their Keyhaven Scow, taking line honours and the win on corrected time by seven minutes. Extra crew Nick Rogers, double Olympic silver medallist, clearly wasn't weighing the boat down too much for the light airs. George Richards and William Homewood sailed their Feva well to take second place.

In the Fast fleet, some quick spinnaker hoists at the start gave the balcony pundits an excellent view of the fleet reaching down the river. . anhe trailing boats were scuppered by the dying wind at the finish leaving Luke and Emma McEwen to take first in their RS800. Nigel Walbank in his Musto Skiff pulled off a fast tight reach by dropping his spinnaker halyard a foot, stealing away from the chasing RS700s. Nick Simmons got away to a great start in his D-One, managing to clinch third place by four seconds on corrected time from Neal and Clare Carden's RS400.

The Scows set off in fine style but the dying breeze left many of them struggling to get back up the river after their last lap of the course. Rory Paton took first place in the Gold fleet and won the Silver class, finishing ahead of several of the Gold fleet.

Full results at rlymyc.org.uk/Sailing/Racing/Race_Results.aspx