Sun and fickle winds for JOG Exposure Lights St Vaast and JOG Nab Tower races
by Peter Cover 9 May 2018 06:27 BST
21 April & 4-5 May 2018
Arcsine during the Exposure Lights JOG St Vaast Race © Jon Bevan
Exposure Lights St Vaast Race
Many thanks to Exposure Lights for sponsoring their first race with JOG and for providing excellent prizes for the après-sail party in the delightful port of St Vaast on Saturday 5th May. While the draw of the seafood restaurants and the traditional Saturday JOG party were perhaps instrumental in attracting over 40 entrants, first the fleet had to get there and through the lock gate before closing time.
The early May bank holiday forecasts were for light winds and dead patches on the Friday night and into Saturday morning but the fleet got away cleanly from the JOG Cowes line, first start for Class 6 at 18:30 with a warm westerly breeze. Tide was adverse initially and navigators differed in whether to stay close the island to pick up the new favourable tide or take some pain to get north of Ryde bank.
The light stuff arrived en-route to Bembridge Ledge and arrival times 67 miles to the south were already giving concern. On balance it paid to get east for the forecast easterly wind but others made ground by staying close to the south east side of the island.
Some retired in the early hours to motor to St Vaast and some turned back but 28 boats finished with elapsed times ranging from 16 hours 24 mins to 21 hours 50 mins. Inevitably under the circumstances a few boats did miss the lock and anchored off before getting into harbour around midnight – well done all!
Exposure Lights St Vaast Results:
Class 3
1st J Fever, J120
2nd Prime Suspect, Mills 36
3rd Exuberant, X412
Class 4
1st NJOS, Corby 35
2nd Just So, J109
3rd Red Arrow, J109
Class 5
1st Longue Pierre, Dehler 38
2nd Xara, Swan 38SR
3rd With Alacrity
Class 6
1st Sheevra, Swan 36
2nd Dogmatix, First 310
3rd Virago, MG 335
Double-Handed
1st Sheevra, Swan 36
2nd Zest, Humphreys 36
3rd Virago, MG 335
Nab Tower Race
Always popular with JOG racers, over 70 boats entered across four classes for this first race of the Cat 4 inshore series with the smaller Class 6 boats away from the JOG Cowes start line at 09:00 on Saturday 21st April.
As the new tide strengthened progress was steady in the chilly easterly around the Nab and onto Winner off Langstone Harbour then back through the forts into the Solent where a lot of the fleet parked up in a wind hole. Some escaped towards Portsmouth and got a jump on their opposition on the downwind leg back to Cowes as the wind strengthened to a solid force 4.
So a varied and interesting race with some tactical challenges which gave those who popped into the post-race meet up at the Royal Southern plenty to chew over.
Nab Tower Results:
Class 3
1st Dusty P, First 40
2nd Jahmali, J122e
3rd Prime Suspect, Mills 36
Class 4
1st Just So, J109
2nd Alaris, Dehler 36SQ
3rd Juliette, J105
Class 5
1st Xara, Swan 38SR
2nd Hi Jinks, J97
3rd With Alacrity, Sigma 38
Class 6
1st Whooper, Laurent Giles 38
2nd Imptish, Impala 28
3rd Raffles, Elan 295
Double-Handed
1st Juliette, J105
2nd Eaujet, A 35
3rd Hair of the Dog, Sunfast 3200
Upcoming JOG events:
- Cat 4 Cowes Yarmouth and Yarmouth Cowes Saturday 19th May 19th and Sunday 20th May.
- Cat 3 Cowes Dielette Friday May 25th first start 19:30.
Please contact the secretary if you have any questions about the route into racing with JOG.