XOD Wednesday Series at Royal Lymington Yacht Club - Race 16
by John Olliff-Cooper 16 Aug 2018 18:14 BST
15 August 2018
X179 wins RLymYC XOD Wednesday Series race 16 © RLymYC
Eight XODs of the Lymington fleet ventured out on a breezy Wednesday this week. The tide was up, 20 knots of wind was blowing from the south west, and it was sunny - ideal sailing conditions.
Nik Froud in X72 Venus nailed the start, forcing Ado Jardine in X140 Lucretia over the start line at the platform end, and thus having to return to start. Barry Dunning in X176 Crumpet started just behind Venus and tacked inshore, hoping to take advantage of the turning tide inshore. 'Froud the father' (Roy) in Red Coral had a good start halfway down the line and carried out into the main channel and deeper water. This proved to be the right tactic as Red Coral was first around Pennington mark (Dunford). He was followed by Venus, and Eric Williams in X34 Mersa, in third. Dunning managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory by overstanding the first mark, and rounded last.
The run back to Haven mark allowed Lucretia to surge into third after her disastrous start, and Venus passed Red Coral with some deft tactics downwind.
A beat to Oxey mark (Colten) followed by a run to Sanders Sails mark provided no change in the order, but a good scrap for fourth place was developing between Mersa and Crumpet culminating in an entertaining luffing match between the two boats. Williams on Mersa was sailing only two up, and Dunning having the advantage of an extra pair of hands, established a vital boat overlap advantage at the leeward mark, so slipped into fourth place. And that was how they finished.
The conditions had provided a memorable rollicking sail, and not a little seawater down those brave sailors' necks.
Race 16 Results:
1st Venus
2nd Red Coral
3rd Lucretia
4th Crumpet
5th Mersa
Full results can be found here.