Lymington Town Sailing Club Sunday Early Points Series - Race 3

With strong spring tides and only a gentle Northerly breeze Lymington Town's race team was forced to be imaginative to get a race under way. By utilising the club launch Fortuna and sailing close inshore the 30 competing boats in two classes managed to complete a five-lap course in just over the hours target set by the RO Nigel Walbank.

With lots of shifts in the wind along with variable pressure in the breeze made for interesting sailing and plenty of place swapping. The winners in both classes came from behind on the final laps with the RS400 of Kevin Podger and Heather Chipperfield beating RS400 of Matt Thomas and Steve Nicholas in to second place in class 1 after the lead boat on the water, the RS800 of George Richards and Greg Brown fowled the anchor line of the committee boat, fending her off in the process, which resulted in them having to go back across the finish line to complete their penalty turns ahead of finishing correctly. Dave Gorringe in his D-One therefore completed the podium on handicap.

In class 2, three Merlin Rocket headed the fleet and eventually lapped some of their class mates. Rob and Jan Martin lead for the majority of the race only to cover the wrong boat towards the end. This let in David and Vicky Lenz to take the gun, the Martin's hung on to second from Sarah Richards and Lewis Brown in the third Merlin. The Solo fleet enjoyed a race within a race getting some practice ahead of their Open Meeting at Lymington Town SC next Saturday the 30th March. Andy Hyland won the contest from Shaun Walsh and Malcolm Buchanan.