Solo Eastern Series at Harlow (Blackwater) Sailing Club

Solo Eastern Area Championships 2019 © HBSC

The 31st August saw the seventh round of the Eastern Series taking place at the Harlow (Blackwater) Sailing Club with 26 boats, comprising 16 visitors and 10 locals, this being the highest turnout in the series so far.

With the competitors keen to get started the boats lined up on the club's new jetty awaiting enough depth of water to launch.

The courses were arranged such that race 1 would start in Lawling Creek and sail out into the wider River Blackwater with a finish off Osea Island. Race 2 started and finished off Osea Island, and race 3 was from the river back into Lawling Creek finishing at the Clubhouse line.

Race 1 started, after a general recall, with a short beat with the tide up the creek followed by a dead run out to the open river. The wind played some tricks and three boats were caught out by a sudden shift on the run ending with a capsize.

Solo Eastern Area Championships 2019 - photo © HBSC

Starting in the main tidal stream, Race 2 was a standard triangle followed by a beat and run. There was one casualty when Annabelle Laurie (daughter of Robert) capsized at the gybe mark and after a while a concerned granddad, seeing no sign of a safety boat, turned back to see how things were, forfeiting at least six places.

Race 3 saw a diminished fleet starting in the main river with a beat and long run, then turning to a long beat back to the club on a now fast ebbing tide.

With three events to go in the Series, Mark Maskell is in top spot, followed by Vince Horey, then Roger Wilson.

P.S. Annabelle was disgruntled, very wet, but fine and thanked Granddad for his concern.

Overall Results:

Solo Eastern Area Championships 2019 - photo © HBSC