Optimum Time Watches Phantom Southern Travellers at Downs Sailing Club
by Sam Taylor-Nobbs 4 Aug 2016 13:28 BST
30-31 July 2016
Phantom at Downs in 2016 © DSC
As part of the Optimum Time Watches Southern Series, Downs SC welcomed 5 visitors making a fleet of 9 boats in total. It was a gloriously sunny Saturday afternoon but unfortunately with very little wind.
The Race Officer and his team did a great job to get the first race started after a short postponement in very challenging conditions. The fleet was split on the first beat with everyone chasing whatever wind they could find. Unfortunately after three legs the RO decided to shorten the course at the wing mark so Race 1 was won by Ivan Walsh (Shoreham SC) and 2nd Chris Shelton (Downs SC) & 3rd Eric Styles (Downs SC). AP over H was displayed and after a short wait on the beach it was decided to cancel any further racing for that day.
Sunday morning was a very different story. After a curry and plenty of real ale consumed the previous evening, a pleasant North Westerly blew! Race 2 was a game of snakes and ladders and with the four home boats taking the first four places as the fleet sailed past the club house, much to the approval of the members watching on the beach. Final positions where 1st Richard White (Downs SC), 2nd Chris Shelton & 3rd Sam Taylor-Nobbs (Downs SC).
Race 3 was again hotly contested between Chris Shelton and Richard White with just a naan bread to separate them on the finish line. Final positions were 1st Chris Shelton, 2nd Richard White & 3rd Gordon Kingstone-Minnis (Lee on Solent SC).
So it was now all to play for in Race 4 for 1st & 2nd positions for the weekend. With lighting wind conditions and again with lots of place changes, on the penultimate reach the first three boats managed to pull away leaving the last third of the fleet fighting their own battle. So final positions in Race 4 for the top 4 boats was a mirror image of the final results for the weekend.
Overall Results:
1st Chris Shelton (Downs SC)
2nd Richard White (Downs SC)
3rd Ian Walsh (Shoreham SC)
4th Sam Taylor-Nobbs (Downs SC)
5th Eric Styles (Downs SC)
6th Peter Harlow (Poole YC)
7th Gordon Kingstone-Minnis (Lee-on-Solent SC)
8th Steve Popple (Shoreham SC)
9th Richard Eperon (Bough Beech SC)
All in all some really close racing and lots of fun had by all in challenging conditions. Next stop Round 6 at Burghfield Open on the 29th October... see you there!