Brass Monkey Trophy Race at Leigh on Sea Sailing Club

Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club Trophy Race © Liz Noble

The 2017 Leigh on Sea SC Brass Monkey Trophy race ended the 2017 racing season on Sunday 17th December. The Winter Series which finished on Saturday 16th December had seen 36 boats compete in the 9-race series, Lloyd Walker (Enterprise) topped the main handicap fleet and Jonnie Wells was the best of the veteran Solo fleet (boats must have sail / hull number under 4000).

Sunday morning was a real contrast to Saturdays cold sunny race, the weather was grey will clouds at sea level, visibility was only 150 metres. The forecast was for the mist to clear, with rain later and a slowly increasing wind. The race team moved from the warmth of the club to the exposed race hut and set up the flags for the race, on cue the mist lifted and the race team were able to set a course.

The first attempt to start the race saw a good proportion of the 30 strong fleet over the line, too many to identify so three hoots and a general recall. At the second start the fleet was well behaved and a clean start let the fleet slowly move up the first beat. The fleet spread over both sides of the beat, some boats trying the left looking for the stronger tide and wind offshore while others stayed right and moved inshore. As the beat unfolded the leaders came from the inshore group – logic does not always pay. The leaders were Will Taylor and Luke Beuvink in a 29er, followed by Mike Iszatt in an RS600, the slower boats were lead by John Charles in a Solo and Chris Boshier in a Standard Laser.

The race team decided that even although the wind was strengthening that only the faster boats would sail 3 laps of the course and that the slower boats would finish after 2 laps. This allowed the whole fleet to finish in a 16-minute window from 59 minutes to 65 minutes, which was welcomed by the competitors, given that the air temperature was only 4 degrees and below freezing with the wind chill. Everyone adjourned to the clubhouse and bar for warm drinks, food and the prize-giving.

Leigh-on-Sea Sailing Club Brass Monkey Winners - photo © Liz Noblet

Overall winners on the water and on handicap was Will Taylor and Luke Beuvink Essex YC (29er), second was Mike Iszatt from King George SC (RS 600) and third was John Charles Leigh on Sea SC (SOLO). Full results are available at www.Leighsailingclub.org The Brass Monkey Trophy now has a nearly full history of past winners from the first race in 1966 to 2016 on a new winners' plate, with a bit more detective work during this year it is hoped to fill in the missing winner's names.

Overall Results: