Lymington Town Sailing Club Black Rock Race
by Nick Simmons 19 Sep 2018 08:41 BST
16 September 2018
Tim Knight's VX One rounding 'Hurst' during LTSC's Black Rock Race © Nick Simmons
32 boats turned out for Lymington Town Sailing Club's 4th Race of the "Solent Series" on Sunday 16th September. The Solent Series compromises multiple long-distance races, this Sunday's race allows the race officer to set any course as long as it includes the starboard navigation channel marker "Black Rock" positioned just outside the entrance to Yarmouth Harbour.
As usual the sunny south coasts micro climate kicked in with a lovely 12-16kts SSW breeze on top of a brisk incoming tide. By the time the slowest boats had finished the sun was out and temperatures up to a balmy 20 degrees.
This year's course sent the competitors on a round circumnavigation of the Western Solent totalling just under 12Nm with a leg aching 4Nm beat against the incoming tide.
From 32 starters 17 finished with most bowing out off the Island shore after rounding "Hurst" and miss reading the strength of the incoming tide leaving them with a "nice" beat back against the tide in the deep water of Hurst Narrows to round "Sconce" a northerly cardinal.
Making it two years on the trot Dougal Harris and Henry Castledine, in their F18, smashed the 12Nm's with an elapsed time under the hour and also taking the win on corrected by 4mins.
Tim Knight took 2nd place racing his rather lovely new toy the VX1 and Luke and Emma McEwen 3rd in their RS800.
Special mention to Julie Willis who took slightly longer than Dougal in his F18. Julie rounded off the finishers 2hrs later in her Aero 5... Good effort! I hope your legs are not burning still...
And of course, it goes without saying thanks to the volunteers who gave up their Sunday morning to standby on the support RIBS. As usual the eye of safety was watching over the W Solent with an eagle like eye. For more information about racing with Lymington Town Sailing Club, just contact the Club on 01590 674514 or email .