Burnham Sailing Club monthly Saturday Cruiser race series launched
by Sally Harbott 6 May 2018 06:01 BST
5 May 2018
Burnham Sailing Club monthly Saturday Cruiser race series launched © Sally Harbott
The Burnham Sailing Club launched its monthly Saturday Cruiser race series today, and four boats raced, each taking at least one junior sailor as crew.
In fantastic sunshine and an Easterly breeze, with a flood tide, the boats headed down river to Number 5 on a foul tide beat. Ant Law's International Folk Boat Tifano had the best start, putting Jeannie about just before the gun. Mantra were a little way off the line, and took the lead just off Priors pontoon, after John Saunders in his Elan 31 Jeannie had had to put in a large bear away to clear Mantra.
Dan Tribe in his UFO31 Traigh beat down river and kept in touch with Ant Law's Folkboat. Phillip Harbott in his Aphrodite 101 Mantra rounded first and headed up to Cliff on a fair tide run. No boats flew spinnakers and took advantage of the building flood tide. Jeannie were next round and Tifano followed with Traigh fourth to round the Fairway mark.
The fleet rounded Cliff in the same order and had a long foul tide beat down to the finish, and encountered some very big wind shifts. Jeannie closed the gap on Mantra between Cliff Reach and Number 13 but between Essex Marina and the line, Mantra benefited from a big lift and pulled away again, ensuring that she saved her time on the Elan. Ant Law in the Folkboat finished next, with Dan Tribe in Traigh following.
On corrected time, Mantra won by 33 seconds from Jeannie, with Tifano third and Traigh fourth. All live racing action from the Burnham Sailing Club can be followed on Twitter via @BurnhamSCLive
The next race in this series is on Saturday 2nd June, and the first Saturday of July and August with the concluding race on the BSC Regatta day in September.