Lymington Town Sailing Club Easter Egg Race
by Clare Sleigh 24 Apr 2019 11:39 BST
22 April 2019
Easter is a classic time for sport, when the sun shines, air temperatures are on the increase. Sailors realise that winter water temperatures have to be endured for another month or two, but with a gentle 9 knot easterly breeze, even the chance of capsize was minimised. 23 boats signed on, all hoping for an eggscellent race.
OOD's Chloe and Ben George set an egg shaped course around Oakhaven, %, W and a moveable. The long square start line to allow for the dinghies that ranged in PY from 849 to 1145 enabled a clean start, with nobody scrambling for position.
The short down tide first beat meant that the first mark was congested with the Merlins of Rob & Jan Martin and David & Vicky Lenz rounding just ahead of Richard Russell and Sylvia Weger in a Tasar. The long downwind legs saw the Musto Skiff of Gary Stones and the DOne of Giles Chipperfield stretch out into the lead. The Lenz Merlin established a lead over the Martins who just beat the Merlin of John Cooper and Becci Wigley.
The breeze held for the race and with eggstraordinary boat speed, Gary Stones managed four laps, with the majority of the fleet sailing three. Giles Chipperfield won from the Merlin Rockets of Team Lenz and Team Martin. Easter Egg prizes were awarded afterwards in the Solent Room.