JOG Nab Tower Race
by Pandie Bronsdon, JOG 8 Apr 2017 21:10 BST
1 April 2017
Class 6 just after the start of the JOG Nab Tower Race © Paul Cook
72 boats across four classes were entered in the first race of the 2017 JOG Inshore series on Saturday 1st April, with 69 finishers. 15 of those were Double Handed entries, which may well be a record.
The course was set from the start off Gurnard Buoy in Cowes, through the forts to the Nab Tower (stump?), a spacer leg out to Winner, then back via the forts to the finish. Conditions can only be described as 'champagne' with a steady SSW/SW F4 all day and flat seas, allowing the first boats home in a tad under 4 hrs and the final finisher through the line in 5hrs 50 mins. All classes had a downwind start, some with early season broaches and some without, hardening up and going to white sails after the forts.
A gybe at the Nab Tower was the only major 'corner', made more interesting for some by the tricky wind and tide close to the tower, followed by a long fetch and / or beat back. Some of the finishers had to tack for the finish but it was more a race for tacticians, navigators and helms than foredeck crews this weekend.
The next race is the first in the Offshore series, Cowes - Cherbourg on Friday 14th April, Cherbourg - Cowes on Sunday 16th April. It's usually a fun weekend with two (mostly daylight) cross channel races interspersed with the delights of the annual Cherbourg Fun Fair on the Saturday, so a good one if you're new to JOG and want to meet lots of people.
Provisional Results:
- Class 3: "Juhmalai", owned/sailed by Mike & Sarah Wallis
- Class 4 "Elaine", owned/sailed by Mike Bridges
- Class 5: "Machismo II", owned/sailed by Tim Levett
- Class 6: "Stroma of Findhorn", owned/sailed by Ian Taylor, Mark Priestman & Peter Millard
NEXT JOG RACE: Cowes – Cherbourg, Saturday 14tht April, first start at 07:30 BST. Entry Forms, full race programme & crew available/boats looking for crew information all now available online at www.jog.org.uk