Lymington XOD Class Autumn Series - Race 7

Fifteen XODs started the race in the warm autumn sunshine and light breeze on Wednesday afternoon. The race officer set a clever and interesting course, with lots of snakes and ladders, bringing about plenty of position changing right through the fleet, throughout the race. Terrific stuff.

Starting to the west in a ferocious ebb near Berthon buoy, the tide swept us all upwind to a moveable mark near Colten, which Eric Williams in Mersa (X34), rounded first, with Phil Brewer in Zest (X9), close on his heels and then Rory Paton, in XL (X48). We then plugged the strong tide for a downwind leg to mark D (Outer Distance (south of the Platform) and then back up again to the same laid windward mark.

The light breeze held out – just. The final downwind leg took us close past the Platform then off to mark E (Pylewell) and back upwind to for a Platform finish.

That short beat with the wind edging north, provided plenty of opportunities for windshift spotting, and crafty tactical shenanigans. By the finish Phil Brewer had got ahead of Eric Williams, and having taken Rory Paton out to starboard on the last beat Paul Woodman in Ibex (X32), snuck into third. Gill Clark also seized that advantage to slide into forth place. It was all great fun.

Race 7 Results:

1st X9 Zest - Phil Brewer
2nd X34 Mersa – Eric Williams
3rd X32 Ibex – Paul Woodman
4th X173 – Gill Clark

Full results can be found here.