Island Sailing Club Tuesday Evening Series - Race 1
by Chris Thomas 19 Apr 2018 17:02 BST
17 April 2018
Conditions were blustery during the day but moderated as forecast just in time for the first start of the season at 1840. 42 yachts started although several from Class 1, berthed north of the chain ferry, were prevented from getting to the line due to grounding on its chains; a problem which had occurred last year and has still not been rectified.
All yachts started to the west against a strong flood tide in the shelter of the land before setting spinnakers and racing NNE across the Solent with a beat across the tide back to Cowes. This turned out to be a navigator's race with local knowledge an important factor. One J80, sailing too close to the Bramble Bank, grounded and then, attempting to sail across heeled over with the spinnaker up, had to await the rising tide before getting home.
Others remembered to their cost that in southerly winds it pays to stay offshore at Castle Point and plug the adverse tide on the finishing leg! Although the XOD's did not race on this occasion the Sonars and Flying Fifteens had to make do with an inshore reaching course for safety reasons due to the initial wind readings being outside their limits. All boats were home by 2020 with navigation lights on show in the dusk.
Two Etchells 22 One Designs, new to the fleet, were second and third respectively in Class 1. Alexa, past ISC Commodore Mark Wynter's new boat, was 1st in Class 2 with a strong lead on the water. Mark and his crew are renowned for their navigational skills. In Class 3, Claire Turner's Squib "Party Hat", another newcomer, took the honours. Perhaps some more Squibs may join her as it is their 50th anniversary and National Championships during Cowes Week.
In the Sonars, three club boats, headed by Will Rome, finished ahead of the privately-owned Jenny despite using cut-down mainsails due to the windy conditions.
Provisional results can be found on the notice board and ISC website www.islandsc.org.uk
Class 1 - Fast Handicap:
1st Acheron
2nd Ziggy
3rd Mano
Class 2 – Medium Handicap:
1st Alexa
2nd Little Spirit
3rd Haggis 2
Class 3 – Slow Cruisers:
1st Party Hat
2nd Kallista
3rd Reasons to be Cheerful
Class 4 - Sonars:
1st Will Rome
2nd Trish Rooke
3rd Tim Sinclair-Wilson
Class 5 – Flying Fifteen:
1st Fflashback
2nd Ffreefire20
3rd Fifty Fifty
Class 6 – X One Design:
[No boats turned out]