Royal Lymington Yacht Club Monday Evening Dinghy - Race 2
by Ann Brunskill 8 May 2018 14:37 BST
7 May 2018
A glorious Western Solent evening for day 2 of the RLymYC Monday Evening Dinghy Series © Ann Brunskill
The glorious Bank Holiday weather made for a great turnout and good sailing in this week's RLymYC Monday Evening Dinghy race. Race officer Steve Green set sensibly short windward-leeward courses to the east of the river, allowing for the SW sea breeze dying away and the neap ebb tide strengthening through the race.
In the Fast Handicap fleet, Andy Ash-Vie and Lizzie Evans showed the Skiffs a clean pair of heels at the start and finishing less than two minutes behind - enough to them to win by four and a half minutes on corrected time. The Medium fleet was led on the water by the two Tasars, but in the end Robbie Claridge won on handicap in his Lightning 368 ahead of Tim Knight & Pete Bell's Tasar: Robby Boyd in the Laser Radial pipped Pete Saunders and John Claridge in the Seafly to third place by less than 15 seconds on corrected time.
The Slow Handicap fleet was a battle of the Teras with Violet Edwards leading from the start. Harry West and Marcus Edwards tried their best to catch her up but she shot ahead of them on the last leg up the river.
A rainbow of sails covered the river as over 40 LR Scows sailed out of the river and headed east to be greeted to bluebird skies and a gentle south westerly breeze. Showing his starting prowess once more, former Olympian Barry Dunning led off the line, losing out only to solo sailor Chris Cecil-Wright and Nik Froud with Lola Mordaunt by the wave barrier. Thereafter, a long run down to East Inner ensued once the river gate had been cleared with Eric Williams and Siena Mordaunt (a last minute addition as crew) making gains thanks to an early gybe inside to escape the ebb tide in an ever abating breeze. Eric and Siena rounded first, followed soon after by Nik and Lola and then Rory and Alex Paton, who utilised their spinnaker to make massive gains on the long downwind leg. The following beat saw no place changes, but a tactical move by Rory to the east of the river saw him lose the place he had gained to Chris Cecil-Wright. The Silver Scow fleet was won by John Chaundy, with Puddy Draycott and Barty Rouse second and Roger and Albert Barber third.
Full results at rlymyc.org.uk/OnTheWater/Racing/Race_Results.aspx