Royal Lymington Yacht Club XOD Saturday Series - Race 5

Sunshine and a steady South-westerly of 12 to 15 knots enabled the race office team of Malcolm McKeag, Chris Knox and Mary-Ann Jardine to set a single long race for the Alistair Easton Challenge.

Twenty XODs jostled for position on the start line, most favouring the committee boat end to allow a quick tack towards the shore to escape the tide for the beat up to Pennington (B) but boats starting further towards the ODM also fared well in clean air.

First around the windward mark and spreader mark V was 48 (XL) followed by 179 (Expeditious), 176 (Crumpet) and 59 (Iona, visiting from Yarmouth) setting up for the long run down to Sowley (J) with a neap tide helping them along. Positions changed little at the front but 9 (Zest) made gains and joined the group.

The fleet then headed back upwind with each crew choosing its moment to cross the Solent over to mark number 4 off the Yarmouth shore. Crumpet crossed earliest and looked initially to have lost ground, Expeditious latest and, with her exceptional close pointing, managed to lay the mark in one tack, rounding in close formation with XL and Zest whilst Crumpet closed fast with a shore lift. The lift held long enough for boats to climb towards the Island shore before heading back across the tide (now starting to ease off) to B. XL rounded first ahead of Crumpet who inched over the top of Zest as the wind freshened.

A short loop followed, down to river mark Y and back up to + (BHG) saw Expeditious crawl back to 2ndunder a watchful eye from XL maintaining her lead to the finish.

Race 5 Results: (top four)

1st XL, Rory Paton, John Morrow, Johny Tait
2nd Expeditious, James Markby, Alex Hayman, Charlie Dodds
3rd Crumpet, Barry Dunning, Mark Keeping, Andrew Clarke
4th Zest, Phil & Jo Brewer, Debbie Miles

Full race and series results can be found here.