Bembridge Illusion Team Racing 2024-2025
by Mike Samuelson 3 Feb 06:34 GMT
1-2 February 2025
Bembridge Illusion Team Racing 2024-2025 - BSC vs. ASA © Mike Samuelson
Having had this season's first team racing event programmed in early December 2024 cancelled because of the high wind forecast, all fingers were crossed that the second weekend of team racing in early February would not suffer the same fate.
In the event Saturday morning started off a bit on the light side but developed to a nice containable strength as the day progressed, and Sunday was almost perfect with blue skies and a F2 southerly breeze.
After the normal briefing in the warmth of the Club on Saturday morning, and with a full house of eight 2 boat teams ready to launch immediately it has finished, racing in the harbour started only 10 minutes later than had optimistically been programmed. With two round robin sets of races planned prior to a final and petite final over the two days, the hope was to run nine flights on Day 1 and then five flights and the finals on Day 2.
Although it was obvious that there was a considerable range of skill level between the eight teams, it was certainly not a white wash and all teams lost at least one race. In the case of the BSC 1 team (Jo & Mark Dower) it was in the fifth flight against the SVYC 1 team (Raymond Simonds & Bruce Huber) with Raymond & Bruce losing to the Army team (David Peerless & Tom Barker) in their eighth flight race. Although by the end of the ninth flight most of the competitors (and race management team and umpires) were pretty cold, it was interesting that most races in the first two flights of the second round robin finished much closer than during the first two fights of the first one.
Although not that many surprises, at the end of Saturday's nine flights, BSC 1 and SVYC 1 had each notched up eight wins; ASA had seven wins; CCCA (David Russell-Jones & Owen Pay) and BSC 2 (Olly Laughton-Scott & Alastair Speare-Cole) both had four wins; RTYC (Richard Ambler & Mike Issaias) had three wins and RHKYC (Mike Toogood & Monty Irwin) and SVYC 2 (John Birchenough & Matt Solan) both had one win.
Close finishing during flight nine
After a very brief briefing on Sunday morning, the eight teams launched so swiftly that we were able to start the first of the five remaining second round robin races a few minutes ahead of the planned time. As was the case the previous day, there were not many surprises, but racing was certainly tighter as some of the less experienced teams improved. In particular, Mike Toogood & Monty Irwin (RHKYC) gave a number of their opponents a good run for their money. Indeed towards the end of their race against Raymond & Bruce (SVYC1) it looked as if they might well have won, but Bruce's team racing skills were too good for Monty who was forced into last place.
It was no great surprise that at the end of the second round robin, Mark & Jo (BSC1) and Bruce & Raymond (SVYC1) came out with twelve and thirteen wins apiece; David P & Tom (ASA) and David R-J & Owen (CCCA) were the next two teams with the ten and seven wins respectively. Richard Ambler & Mike Issaias (RTYC) and Olly L-S & Alastair S-C (BSC2) both had four wins; Mike T & Monty (RHKYC) had three wins and John & Matt (SVYC2) finished with two wins.
Although the best of five finals saw some close and at times noisy racing, Bruce & Raymond were just too consistent and won 3-0. Meanwhile the best of three petit finals between CCCA and ASA went to the wire with David R-J & Owen winning 2-1.
BSC1 v SVYC1 Race 1 final
BSC1 v SVYC1 Race 2 final
ASA v CCCA Race 2 Petit Final
Overall an excellent weekend with some very close racing. As always a big thank you to the organisers, the Race Officers and the Umpires & Assistant Umpires, and of course the competitors! None of this could happen without them.
Wrong tides next weekend so no racing; it is the Valentine Trophy the one after (15-16 February).