Medway RC Laser Club Winter Series 2025 at Barton's Point Coastal Park - Week 9
by Jamie Blair 23 Mar 17:14 GMT
23 March 2025
Medway RC Laser Club Winter Series week 9 © Fiona Blair
Where was the wind? Not a breath for the course setting but for the 10am start there was just enough.
A zephyr from the NNW so a course with a reaching start was adopted to a starboard rounding first mark! After that a triangle and sausage configuration. Yes, the starboard rounding was going to cause some troubles.
6 racers set off with Tim Townsend (45) making the best of the super light conditions to take wins in Race 1 & 2.
Race 3 & 4 saw Jamie Blair (51) seek out the zephyrs for back-to-back wins. Yes, there was some mayhem at the windward mark with the starboard rounding but most learnt not to tack in front of another boat on the starboard lay line. Tony Alexander made good starts but got the wrong side of shifts or holes in the wind but was still consistent. Mark Penny (03) was making great efforts with some good second places.
Tim seized wins in races 5 & 6 and with the wind backing to the South and reaching a maximum of 8kts - it was a scramble for the other places.
By race 6 Tim led by 3 points.
Races 7 & 8 took the racing to the break with wins for Mark and Jamie. Roger Gibb (32) kept plugging away but narrowly missing marks with consequential affects to his points.
At the break Tim's lead was down to 2 points with Jamie, Mark and Tony snapping at his heals.
During the break the course was reset to follow the wind to the South and thankfully all marks to port. There was confusion for some for which way round!
The wind collapsed completely so a short postponement. Race 9 was won by Jamie, Tony second. Jamie and Tim were now level on points so the next race which turned out to be the last of the day (no wind) would be crucial. Tim made a race winning start, being chased by all - Jamie dropped to the back of the fleet when the mooring line on a buoy snared his keel!
Tim won the day with Jamie behind and Tony in third.
We hope the wind gods give us some more breeze for next Sunday 30th March.
Week 9 Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 45 | Tim Towsend | 1 | 1 | ‑4 | ‑4 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 14 |
| 2nd | 51 | Jamie Blair | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | ‑6 | 1 | 1 | ‑5 | 16 |
| 3rd | 4 | Tony Alexander | 2 | ‑4 | 3 | 2 | ‑5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 18 |
| 4th | 3 | Mark Penny | 4 | 2 | 2 | ‑5 | 2 | 5 | 1 | ‑6 | 5 | 3 | 24 |
| 5th | 32 | Roger Gibbs | 5 | ‑6 | 5 | 3 | ‑6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 34 |
| 6th | 76 | Bob Woolford | ‑6 | 5 | ‑6 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 41 |