Frostbite Series 2025 at Neyland Yacht Club - Races 7 & 8

Frostbite Series at Neyland races 7 & 8 © Gavin Sims

Nae man can tether time or tide...

A mild east south easterly wind greeted the sailors on this Sunday, almost as it was the previous weekend. Whilst the wind was predominantly F3 in strength it did vary between patches of soft F2 to pleasantly forceful F4 throughout the morning.

Frostbite Series at Neyland races 7 & 8 - photo © Gavin Sims

Race 7

Division 1 were set away first at 1030 into a freshly ebbing tide, with all but the ILCA7 of Michael Bool confident in disproving Robbie Burns take on the tide by starting at the pin end into the strongest tide. Their confidence was confirmed within the first minute as the pack crossed ahead of the port tack ILCA7, unusually the wind being of more importance than the tide on the club start line.

The first leg was a short beat up the shore to Batts Buoy (S), followed by a broad reach to Dockyard Bank (green post) (S), a reach into the westernmost mooring buoy off the Promenade (S) before passing through the line to repeat. The ILCA7 of Jon Nuttall was first to round Batts, although the fleet were closely knitted on the broad reach. The wind had softened at the start of this race leaving Simon Goodwin in the International Moth to reach high towards Front Street in search of stronger breeze so he could attain flight.

The remainder of the fleet took the rhumb line Dockyard Bank, Simon Turnbull in the RS100 leading them around the gybe back towards the promenade. The return beat back to the line to complete a lap was a game of working the shifts, of which there where plenty, whilst being cognisant of the ebbing tide gaining in strength throughout the race - other than the Moth who headed across the channel in search for the strongest breeze.

The Moth was first to complete a lap, followed by the RS100, Jon Nuttall in his ILCA 7 and the tightly packed remaining 3 of Supernova, ILCA6 and ILCA7 in quick succession.

As it should, the Moth pulled away from the fleet for the remainder of this race, lapping them all once, to complete 4 laps to the fleets 3. The RS100 stretched a little from Jon Nuttall's ILCA7 each lap, but not enough. Alec Denny was getting to know her updated ILCA6 by the completion of this first race, pipping the Supernova and other ILCA7 over the finish after 3 laps. On corrected time Jon Nuttall (ILCA7) was first, Alec Denny (ILCA6) second and Simon Turnbull (RS100) third.

Division 2, today made up of solely juniors, started 5 minutes after division 1 on a shorter course - the first leg to Batts Buoy (S) was as Division 1, but followed a broad reach to Dockyard Bank 4 (S) and then a reach to a dropped buoy (S) north of the Red Post.

All 5 boats opted to start at the pin end, the favoured based on wind direction but against the tide. Anwen Sims in her RS Tera Pro was first to cross, being rolled by the RS Feva XL of Liam Franz and Iolo Sims shortly after. All misjudged the strength of the tide when choosing their lay line for the first mark, the RS Sports of Seb Kummer and Jack Stephens fighting the hardest.

The Feva XL was quick to hoist their kite and shoot off downwind, extending away from the group of Tera's, only for the final reach of the lap to prove tight, much so at times as the shifts came through, allowing the Tera's to close up a little.

Seb Kummer in his Tera Sport was first to receive a finishing hooter after 2 laps, leading Jack Stephens (Tera Sport) across the line. Liam and Iolo (Feva XL) finished next on their 3rd lap, followed by Anwen Sims and Cerise Le Petit in their Tera Pro's. On corrected Anwen Sims (RS Tera Pro) was first, Liam Franz & Iolo Sims (RS Tera XL) were second and Cerise Le Petit (RS Tera Pro) third.

Frostbite Series at Neyland races 7 & 8 - photo © Gavin Sims

Race 8

The wind had strengthened a little for the second start, but the shifts were as consistently inconsistent as earlier. Division 1 got away cleanly, all opting to start at the pin end on starboard tack, with a visiting seal taking a keen interest in proceedings to leeward of them. Simon Goodwin (Int.Moth) led from the start, could he minimise his non-foiling time this race enough to win on corrected time?

In the pack Alec Denny (ILCA6) was second around the first mark, scooting off to the gybe mark cleanly whilst the remaining gents hindered each other as they fought to round mark 1 - in quick succession Michael Bool (ILCA 7), Jon Nuttal (ILCA7), Simon Turnbull (RS100) and Geoff Turner (Supernova) chased on the broad reach. The RS100 had overtaken the gaggle of una-rigs by the gybe mark and was dumping power on the reach back into the shore with a powered-up drop.

The beat up Neyland shore back to the line required a little more effort than the first race of the day as the breeze was generally a little up in strength, after one lap the fleet were still fresh, by their 4th lap some must have been fatigued a little.

Other than a quick swim for the RS100 on his final hoist the race was completed without undue excitement. Simon Goodwin (Int.Moth) crossing the finish line first after completing 6 laps with the rest of the division completing 4 laps. On corrected, accounting for average laps, it was an ILCA affair - Jon Nuttal (ILCA7) first, Alec Denny (ILCA6), Michael Bool (ILCA7) third.

Division 2 followed division 1's lead and all opted to start at the pin end of the start line on starboard tack. The two Tera Pro's were first to start, with Cerise Le Petit timing her trigger-pull perfectly to cross at full speed and climb to windward of Anwen Sims. The Feva XL this time couldn't live in the dirty air from the Tera Pro's and footed off a little in search of clean air.

Again, the spinnaker of the Feva XL allowed the boys to stretch away on the first broad reach, sufficiently far enough to allow them to cross clear ahead of the outgoing harbour tug when reaching back to the leeward mark at the northern shore. The girls in their Tera Pro's, exhibiting excellent seamanship, held back at the gybe mark to allow the tug to pass by and continue west down river.

The wind was at it's strongest at this point as all Tera's were able to plane quickly on the second reach of the lap before beating back up through the line. The Feva XL was followed by the Tera Pro's of Cerise and Anwen respectively before the Tera Sports of Jack and Seb.

The following laps for division 2 consisted of the Feva XL battling themselves to keep control when the spinnaker tried otherwise; a consistent tussle between the 2 Tera Pro's and a similar tussle between the 2 Tera Sports.

By the finish Seb Kummer (Tera Sport) was first to receive a finishing hooter after completing 3 laps, closely followed by Jack Stephens (Tera Sport) who had recovered quickly from a knockdown as he approached the leeward mark for his final time. The Feva XL crossed next, followed by Anwen Sims then Cerise Le Petit in their Tera Pro's; all three boats having completed 4 laps. On corrected Anwen Sims (RS Tera Pro) was first, Cerise Le Petit (RS Tera Pro) second and Liam Franz & Iolo Sims (RS Tera XL) third.

Club website: neylandyachtclub.co.uk

Frostbite Series at Neyland races 7 & 8 - photo © Gavin Sims

1 Fleet Results so far:

2 Fleet Results so far:

Frostbite Series at Neyland races 7 & 8 - photo © Gavin Sims