XOD Saturday Series at Royal Lymington Yacht Club - Race 5

XOD Long Race East © RLymYC

With the continued high pressure and balmy weekends making the conditions perfect for those ashore, for those who wanted to go racing the arrival of some wind was still looking like a fragile dream, and so as we entered Saturday race 5 of the season it again didn't look like it was going to go the racers way.

The Class' planned "Long Race East" required review in light of the conditions, but following a well-timed decision of the race officers for a postponement in the morning the wind picked up. With most of the XOD fleet now finally launched and ready for the full racing season, some 17 boats headed out to the race track for a more typical Saturday afternoon race course planned. The conditions were now almost as glamorous as the owners and their wives... sun shimmering across the Solent, with a sea breeze building from the south west, and a strong flood tide pushing everyone up towards Cowes... everyone could see we were going to get a proper race. The spring tide as ever, and its change at around 3pm to a strong ebb, was also going to play a significant factor in who ended up where on the score card.

Judging the first mark (Number 7), a small yellow one buried with 5 other small yellow ones all located over on the island shore to the east of Yarmouth was always going to be tricky. After a clean start most boats headed straight across the Solent from the Lymington start area, but with the strong flood tide most of these boats quickly got pushed well down from the mark, and had 300-400 yards to then work they way up on the Island shore side... a few boats took a more isolated and early tactical approach and tacked off straight after the start, choosing to stay out of the main tidal stream on the Lymington side and make some gains in the weaker tide, working their way up-tide to the west, before making the crossing. X9 and X179, were the first to plough this lonelier strategic route.

Although from an unbiased spectators perspective they should have been better rewarded for this tactical plan, unfortunately both boats lost our to both X92 and X32 who stayed with the main pack for a while, but then when they got into the stronger breeze off shore then tacked and made their way west, albeit counter-intuitively in the main channel and stronger tide. Onlookers could only assume that along with the stronger wind, they also benefitted from an element of tidal lee bow at certain moments, and they got well ahead.

X32, with only two up, was now a long way clear and first to the mark, followed closely by X92, X9 and X179, who all bore off on the downwind leg to fly back to the mainland. The chasing pack then realised the tidal disadvantage they had had on the first leg, and all the rounded the mark and gybed immediately to then benefit from the staying high in the tide. This early downwind tactic, allowed them to close and in some instances make up the gap between the leading boats, all with the exception of X32 who was clear and gone. X48 (all family crew) at this point was now back in the game and catching quickly.

Once back over to the mainland side of the course the fleet had a couple of "sausage legs" to complete. X179 in straight-line speed pulled back impressively, overtaking X9 and X92, but with a final misjudgement of the penultimate mark over-stood it in the tide and allowed X48 and X9 to overtake at the final windward mark. However it was X92 who made the biggest gains by being the first to recognise the tide had changed in the main channel and was the first to throw caution to the wind, back the call, and head out again to the main channel (which had been the downfall of so many in the opening leg) whilst the rest stayed more conservative and fought their battles closer inshore, perhaps not seeing the change in tidal conditions. This was classic maverick move from the more experienced class historian who was at the helm, never one to be hamstrung with concerns of "what the rest of the fleet might be doing".

Once on the final run these four boats jostled for position, but at the final leeward mark X32 was still leading and concluded the race with an emphatic victory. X179 was still moving quickly and made gains on the run, but they could not quite break the overlap with the inside positioned boats, and went round on the outside of X48 and X9, who then went on to extend their lead on the final leg as an advantageous wind shift came through for them, leaving it a close fight for 4th between X92 and X179, with the latter just squeaking ahead at the end, but a result perhaps not doing justice for the earlier tidal play that X92 had executed so perfectly.

Beers, Cake and tea back in the club house ended a great afternoon's racing.

Full series results can be found here.