Royal Lymington Yacht Club Monday Evening Dinghy - Race 1
by Ann Brunskill 25 Apr 2018 11:41 BST
23 April 2018
Punchy winds and bracing temperatures provided a challenging start to the RLymYC Monday Evening Dinghy racing early series. Very gusty winds with a foul tide for most of the time and some very choppy seas were not ideal for the first race of the season, but there was a good turnout and some thrills and spills all round.
In the Scow Gold Fleet Barry Dunning in Firecracker and Nik Froud and Emma Breese sailing Chickadee led off the line, in the latter's case too early and occupied the top spots by the river gate, closely followed by Jay and Charlotte Devonshire. Thereon, hard work and bailing were the main gain factors and another father daughter paring of Rory and Alex Paton showed their usual spot-on tactics to overhaul several boats to finish first with Sarah Richards second and Chris and Grace Cecil-Wright third. The Silver fleet was won by Caroline and Stuart Watson with Dick Moore second and Allan and Mary Hill third.
The Medium Handicap fleet enjoyed a good reach out to the first mark which had been set at the entrance to the river. With the wind against tide the seas were awkward and the beat with the tide to Plus mark caused several boats difficulties with some early capsizes and subsequent retirements. The run took boats inshore to avoid the fast ebbing tide, leaving boats to decide the best place to put in a gybe before heading out again to, east of the Platform. The short beat and a subsequent run back to the river entrance tested the remaining sailors but the broad reach into the river provided wonderful planning conditions to the wave barrier. Tom Mitchell in the Laser Radial won followed by Tim Knight and Pete Bell in the Tasar and Karl Thorne in the RS Aero 7.
The Fast Handicap fleet were on a similar but slightly longer course with Liam Will winning the two boat contest from Andy Ash-Vie.
Given the conditions there was a good turnout and only one retirement in the Slow Handicap class of eight boats with Isabella Drewitt coming first ahead of Ewan Horn, both in Laser 4.7s.
Full results at rlymyc.org.uk/OnTheWater/Racing/Race_Results.aspx