IOCA UK Optimist Nationals at Largs Sailing Club - Day 3
by Sandy Ramus 3 Aug 10:57 BST
30 July - August 2022
Well day 3 was one of the toughest days on the water I have seen for a long time with ever changing breeze strength and direction meaning that the race officers had their work cut out again.
The Main Fleet got straight into it with 12-15 knots at the start and some solid racing for the first half of the race. While the seniors managed to get around the course, the Juniors who started second saw only 18 boats finish with the rest timing out due to low wind speed and strong tide. Leo Gosling crossed the line first in the Juniors and Will Fletcher taking the Seniors race.
With the wind down and coming off Great Cumbrae now the race course was moved to the north and once it had settled down the RO took the seniors into sequence. 4 U and black general recalls later he switched the start to the Juniors and got it away first time with the black flag. However once around the windward mark there was a lot of confusion as to whether it was an I2 or O2 course with half the fleet going to one mark and the other half going to the other. Eliana Edwards appeared to be the first to realise the leaders mistake and as such took the line. The seniors finally got away with Arther Greaves and Lila Edward taking 1 2.
Both regatta fleets found challenging conditions out on the water today with varying wind speeds and directions, but great fun was had regardless. Regatta Coached completed 2 races, while Regatta Racing completed 3 races.
After sailing, ex optimist sailors, now mentors explained what the gains of the day were and why, and what to change for the next day of sailing.
At the end of race 9 Isla Hutchinson, Rafe Bradley, and Stella Davey are leading Regatta Racing, and Isla Armstrong, Kornelia Pajak and William Pipe are at the top of the Regatta Coached fleet going into race 6.
The latest results can be found here...