Royal Southampton Yacht Club Spring Double - Race 1

Saturday 21 April 2001

A record 70 boats entered the Solent Spring Double

The first race of the Royal Southampton YC Two-Handed Series, the Spring Double was held on Saturday 21 April. Race Officers Geoff Lynch and David Giddings positioned the Committee Boat near Seascope east of the Bramble Bank in the central Solent. Bright sunshine greeted the fleet with a Northerly breeze of around 10 knots with some lighter patches.

The 70 yachts were divided into five classes, two under IRC-rating, two under Club-rating and a MOCRA Multihull Class.

Class 4, the lower-rated club class were first to be set away at 1010 with the multihulls the last start at 1050 heading for a windward mark of Meon on the Titchfield shore. There were big wind shifts and patches of light wind as the fleet closed the windward shore. Sailing shorthanded, the smaller boats were more able to tack nimbly on the big wind shifts.

The next leg was a run south to Daks Simpson buoy off the Isle of Wight shore between Osboune Bay and Wootton Creek. The light air spinnaker run saw the double-handed crews battling with spinnaker gybes in the fickle breeze, the tide was starting to build in strength heading west. The fleet strung out in line abeam with some reaching very high along the Lee on Solent shore while others headed downtide towards Cowes.

Stephen Lineker's Dehler 43 Drake and Pete Jenkins's Corsair F28R trimaran were well placed on the Isle of Wight shore but the breeze died away and the tide increased, eventually over half the fleet was forced to kedge. Of the boats that had kept up to the east, Stuart Danby's Corby 25 Kid Gloves was running well under masthead symmetrical spinnaker stemming the tide. As the leading yachts approached Daks buoy, the RSYC Committee signaled a shortened course. Dragonfly trimaran Scooby III sailed by Emma Richards and Simon Forbes was first to finish, with Kid Gloves six minutes later and Matt Findlay's Maxi 1100 Superted IV a further five minutes behind. A new breeze came in and the race committee were hard pressed to record the finishers as 40 yachts crossed the line in the space of six minutes.

In the 19 boat IRC Class 1 (subject to protest) - Kid Gloves sailed by John and Stuart Danby won by 13 minutes from the Maxi 1000 Leda of Hamble sailed by David Brown and Frances Bergman, with third the Starlight 35 Dreamer of James Yarrow and Gary Heward.

IRC Class 2 with 19 entries - Google-eye, a Trapper 300 sailed by Pat Stables and Nigel Hunt won by 22 seconds from the 35ft Danegeld sailed by Robert Veale and Michael Dixon with Garnele a Scampi half-tonner sailed by Chris Rustom and John Syms.

Club Class 1 with 11 entries saw Bavaria 36 Two of Diamonds (Jon Woolgar) win by 40 seconds from the Oceanis 390 Xerxes sailed by Brian Cleaver with Jeanneau Sunfizz Ear to Absurdity (Doug Worgan and Peter Whatley). Club Class 2 with 12 entries saw Brigand Chief (Twister) sailed by Peter Royle and David Godyer win by one second from the Moody 28 Sea Fever (Simon Gardiner and Neil Stocker) with the Bolero Question of Balance third sailed by Cuan Marsh and Iuan Grey.

The nine entries in the multihull class saw Dragonfly 800 Scooby III (Emma Richards and Simon Forbes) win by 39 seconds from Banshee 35 Backlash (Tony Purser and Ray Hall) with Dragonfly Kokomo (James Stewart and Lucy Kennedy) third.

The RSYC Double-Handed Series continues on Friday 4th May with the Weymouth Double, for details contact Cathy Crawley, Sailing Secretary, RSYC, Tel: 023 80 223352 or email racing@rsyc.org.uk

PROVISIONAL RESULTS SOLENT DOUBLE

Class: 1 IRC
1. Kid Gloves John/Stuart Danby
2. Leda of Hamble David Brown/FrancesBergman
3. Dreamer James Yarrow/Gary Heward

Class: 2 IRC
1. Google-Eye Pat Stables/Nigel Hunt
2. Danegeld Robert Veale/ Michael Dixon
3. Garnele Chris Rustom/John Syms

Class: 3 Club Class
1. Two of Diamonds Tony Henthorne&Jon Woolger
2. Xerxes Brian Cleaver
3. Ear to Absurdity Doug Worgan/Peter Whatley

Class: 4 Club Class
1. Brigand Chief Peter Royle/DavidGoyder
2. Sea Fever Simon Gardiner/Neil Stocker
3. Question of Balance Cuan Marsh/Iuan Grey

Class: Multihull
1. Scooby III Emma Richards/Simon Forbes
2. Backlash Tony Purser / Ray Hall
3. Kokomo James Stewart/Lucy Kennedy

More Information:

• Royal Southampton Yacht Club