Bembridge Sailing Club mid-July Keelboat Racing

Drizzle and windless (Chimet was showing 0 knots) conditions greeted crews and the ROs as they met to discuss options for the days racing mid-morning on Saturday. And decision making was not helped by only very light airs forecast!

However in the end, nine Redwings decide to give it a go after a three quarters of an hour postponement and subsequently had two pretty decent races.

With the start line at E and Tara as the windward mark, the first race got away to a slow but positive start.

Start of Race 1 Saturday

Andrew Eddy in Plover and Colin Samuelson in Toucan stayed out while the other seven headed inshore to try to beat the tide. From a distance it looked as if Jonathan Nainby-Luxmoore in Snow Goose was first round Tara with David McCue in Musicus not far behind. On the slow run to Footprint, the fleet split with half keeping inshore and the other half going down the right side of the course which paid off and put Henry Thorpe in Redwitch into the lead for the beat back to the finish at E. Toucan came through in second fifteen seconds later. Third to cross the line was Jonathan in Snow Goose, however he subsequently retired after realising that unwittingly he had hit Footprint; this put Robin Ebsworth in Quintessence into third with David in Musicus fourth.

After a very quick turn around, the start of the second race nearly required a General Recall, however in the final seconds, all bar the winner of the previous race (Henry in Redwitch), managed to get back to the pre-start side of the line.

Start of Race 2 Saturday

At Tara, the leaders were Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II and Colin in Toucan, however by the time they reached E after a short run, Toucan had edged in front and then never looked back; indeed by the time he crossed the finish line back at E after three further legs he was a minute and a half ahead of Joe in Red Gauntlet II with Henry in Redwitch, having made up a lot of ground on the final leg coming in third. Jonathan in Snow Goose pipped David in Musicus by quarter of a boat length to take fourth.

On Sunday twelve Redwings and three One-Designs took advantage of the slightly stronger breeze and congregated in the start area off Britten under the watchful eye of Mark & Jo Downer, recently back from their 3 month cruise to the Hebrides. After a good start (on time!), the Redwings were all keen to get in the early tack to get inside St Helens Fort and out of the worst of the west going tide in the 9 Knot East South East breeze.

Start of Race 1 on Sunday

First around the windward mark was Jonathan and Sarah Nainby-Luxmoore in Snow Goose, closely followed by Colin and Becky Samuelson in Toucan who both fought hard on the leeward leg and stretched away from the pack. Jonathan lead the race but was unable to hold off the chasers and on the final beat home both Toucan and Joe and Annie Robertson both pipped him at the post.

At the leeward mark

By the second race the wind had eased and showed signs of veering south so a shorter inshore course was adopted with shorter legs. With a slight pin bias, it was Mike Toogood in Tara who took advantage by hopping out clear at the pin end while there was an altogether different story at the Committee boat end; Olav Cole in Redwing was forced out at the Committee boat end and had to tack round and Colin in Toucan was pushed back into the second row.

Start of Race 2 on Sunday

However by the first mark Colin had played his get out of jail free card and rounded in second place astern of Mike MacInnes in Avocet. No surprises at the finish to see Toucan at the front just ahead of Avocet, closely followed by Red Gauntlet II. With three wins and a second over the weekend, Colin therefore won the Curlew Cup.

No One-Designs on Saturday, however there were three on Sunday, albeit they only had one race. No 8, sailed by Jos Coad and Alexander Ross got away on the start and didn't look back. At the finish, Susie and Simon Beart in No 5 were second with No 7 sailed by Charles Abel Smith and Ian Cheshire in third having over stood the third mark. With what looked like a fading breeze the BODA fleet beat a track for home and the promise of an early lunch!"

Bembridge keelboat racing on Sunday 11th July - photo © Mark & Jo Downer