Musto Skiffs at the GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter Series Oxford Blue

Oxford Blue : GJW Direct Sailjuice Winter Series Round 5 © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

The Oxford Blue was the setting for the first Sailjuice event of 2016 and, as with Grafham, the forecast promised 30 knot gusts and rain. The 30 knots might not have come but the rain certainly did.

The record event entry of 146 boats including 5 Mustos launched for the 11am start in a good force 4 and set off downwind for the start. By the time the kite was hoisted and you were settled in the boat it quickly became apparent that there was not a lot of water left, clearly the day was going to call for quick boat handling and keeping our eyes out of the boat.

Race one got away clear and it was Andrew Gould who picked his way clear to get to the windward mark as 1st Musto, with Paul Molesworth and Ben Schooling in hot pursuit. Then it was onto the top reach, which was going to be the cause of many swims over the day as it was too tight for spinnakers and very gusty, meaning you went from full weight on the trapeze one moment to teabag the next. Next the run where Andrew hoisted his kite and went with the main fleet towards the bank, Paul opting for clear air gybed early and got ahead. Unfortunately getting too settled miss the lay line meaning he was having to fight back up to lay the next mark which resulted in his 1st swim. This gave Ben the opportunity to get through and take the win, with Paul in second and Serega Samus who managed to fight through for third.

Race two got under way and Ben managed to get clean off the start and was not to be caught followed by Paul who was in a comfortable second until the penultimate lap when thinking he could hold the spinnaker on a tight reach was victum to the lulls that followed the big gusts and brought the boat in top of himself, letting the rest of the fleet past, and giving Andrew the second place and Serega third.

After two postponements, as the wind swung due to a refreshing downpour that went through, a colder fleet set off in marginal trapezing conditions. Ben showed the fleet why he is known for these wind strengths and was not touched, also picking up the overall fleet race win. Second and third was a tight battle between Serega and Paul with each leg seeming that one had got away until they sailed into a lull and the other then looking promising. In the end Serega got the final correct call to claim second.

Ben's last race performance giving him the overall Oxford Blue win as well as the top Musto, with Serega second Musto and Paul third.

Next up in the Sailjuice series is the famous Bloody Marry this weekend, which due to the Sailjuice scoring system and the sheer number of entries is a critical event to achieve a good result.

Full results can be found here.