Musto Skiffs at the Oxford Blue

Sam Pascoe takes third in the Oxford Blue © Tim Olin / www.olinphoto.co.uk

Three keen Musto Skiffs turned up to a sunny and warm Oxford Blue. Just as we went to launch the gusts built to a nice 15 knots.

Race 1

Sam Barker won the committee boat and put the nose down hard. Andy Rice stuck his boat in high mode off the pin end. Sam Pascoe got spat out the back of this battle so tried to tack out, but his new harness hook had the rubber grommet on it. So made a spectacular mess when he couldn't un-hook. This let Barker run away to an unassailable lead.

Andy rounded the windward just in font of Pascoe. Down the first run Pascoe stayed in a nice puff to drop inside Andy. Then unfortunate Andy took a dip a lap later when he over-committed on a two-sail reach. This is how the places stayed to the finish.

Race 2

Barker won the committee boat again and Pascoe was at the pin. At the windward mark Pascoe was right on Barker's transom. Starting behind the slow and medium fleet made the first lap very busy especially on the reaches that we could mostly hold our kites for.

On the first bottom reach Barker and Pascoe both dropped. Pascoe then re-hoisted to get clear of the slow boats that dragged Barker high. By the next mark there was still nothing in it. It wasn't until the second run that Pascoe gybed of early and passed Barker.

Up the final beat Barker tried to start a tacking match but tied his feet in knots and capsized letting Pascoe away. This is how the places stayed to the finish.

Race 3

Pascoe won the pin with Sam Whaley wrapping his WASAP foils around the anchor chain of the pin boat. Barker was a few boats up but tacked of before a 30 degree shift with an extra 5 knots came in. Pascoe and Andy tacked on it. Andy unfortunately underestimated it and had a quick swim; but was still on Barkers transom at the windward mark. This is how the places stayed to the finish.

Overall. Pascoe was third, Barker 7th and Andy 84th.

That means there has been a Musto Skiff on the podium at all the events in the Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series, bar Yorkshire Dales. Overall in the series Pascoe has won and has dominated, only being beaten in two races by other Musto Skiffs. Sam Barker has come third and Dan Vincent fourth.

We would like to say a big thank you to all that have helped organise and run this year Seldén Sailjuice Winter Series. We are now looking forward to the Ovington Inlands in March. Let's hope our winter training pays dividends.