D-Zero Open at Emsworth Slipper Sailing Club

Seventeen D-Zeros, including six travellers, descended upon sunny Emsworth with promises of a good F3, enticed by free entry fees, and quality racing from the locals...

A spicy 17 knot dead-run out to the race circuit challenged a few including Gordon whose halyard wasn't quite as high as it should have been, causing a quick detour to the visitors pontoon, and a couple of sailors to decide that the breeze was filling and maybe time to head for an early shower.

Emsworth Slipper D-Zero Open - photo © Michael Austen Photography / @michaelaustenphoto

Race 1 under way, having let the general handicap series get away first in their race, with Tim, Andy and David pushing the pin end, Tim Weeden pinched up, Andy McIvor slowed and David Valentine managed to just pass them both, only to touch the putty 50 metres up, tack and then to be called starboard by Tom (aka Poster Boy), retack and Davids race went backwards quickly. Adam Cockerill, newbie D-Zero'ist, took a flyer on the start unbothered by others and led to the first mark. Close racing round mark 1, reaching across the harbour to 2, and a long downwind mixed things up, with some places changing, and David caught up a few nearly mounting a couple as they rounded mark 3 with a short reach to 4. Another local Ben Davis enjoying the conditions was putting in a good shift and staying in the mix. David had chased hard and taken some places only to try tacking quickly after the last mark, and went into irons dropping back a few places. However after a couple of laps, Adam took the bullet, James Jenkins 2nd, Tom 3rd and Gavin Fleming 4th.

Emsworth Slipper D-Zero Open - photo © Michael Austen Photography / @michaelaustenphoto

Race 2 with the breeze strengthening, Adam and David got great starts, another local Max Jones and Gavin pushing hard to the 1st mark, Adam, then Max, Gavin and David, scorching across to the 2nd with Tom in reaching distance and Ian Patrick in the top 6 pulling away from the pack. 3 laps this time of the trapezoid, with David finding some downwind extra energy and pulling past Gavin fighting hard though David had the inside line at the 3rd, just behind Max. Max rounded 4th, tacked hard and hit some irons, with David managing to squeeze past followed closely by Gavin. Breezy upwind, Gavin got ahead of David, trying to close the gap on Adam, rounded Mark 1 hitting a wave and the boat stopping dead and hitting some irons, David reached past, as Gavin sorted himself though couldn't find quite enough on the downwind to overtake. Tom had some challenges after some bad habits picked up in the OK, and couldn't pull back enough. 1st Adam, 2nd David, 3rd Gavin, 4th Max, with Tom following up for 5th.

Emsworth Slipper D-Zero Open - photo © Michael Austen Photography / @michaelaustenphoto

Race 3, a tad more breeze, with some extra waves as the wind swung more Easterly. Adam was being pushed by Gavin from the start, with David, Tom, Ian and Tim chasing hard. The tide was starting to change tactics as it started to ebb, and some interesting shifts up the long-ish beat where some legs looked to pay off better than others. Close rounding, deeper reaching across to 2, bunched a few up, and then a reach/run down to the 3rd. After 3 laps, Gavin was right on Adam's heels with Gavin tacking up to the finish just before Adam, forcing a quick tack and a drag race. Adam just took the bullet with less than a couple of seconds between Gavin. Tom and David were fighting it out, on the run, zigging and zagging to try and get some surfing going, though Tom took it from David, with Ian Patrick, a normal pond sailor relishing in the conditions beating James to 5th and 6th.

Emsworth Slipper D-Zero Open - photo © Michael Austen Photography / @michaelaustenphoto

As the general handicap boats sailed off home, just the one start for the D-Zeros, and Adam had another great start though pushed hard by several - Tom, David, Gavin followed by Gordon who was back in the hunt, now the wind strength had subsided a bit. Tom and David fought down the first downhill again, with Gavin not far behind, though the first 3 were off and not wanting to be caught with only 2 laps. Fortunately the wind blew a bit on our reach and enabled us to build enough gap, and ended after some tough racing all round - Adam, Tom, David, Gavin and Gordon.

Overall places were tied on a few places and after consulting the countback rules by our protest committee the results were as below. Thanks very much to the Race Officer team, it was the Sean Curtis first event time as a Race Officer, and photographer - @MichaelAustenPhoto, and to all the travellers coming down to challenge the locals. Maybe two days next year? Also bearing in mind another 17 were racing up at Largs, a good turnout from the D-Zero Class.

Overall Results: