Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11

25 ILCAs launched for the final day of the Queen Mary Spring Series, into 8 knots from the SSE which built by start time into an unusually shifty, gusty 10-14 knots from a broadly Southerly direction. This is usually QM's steadiest direction, but was anything but steady on the day, with large persistent shifts and major pressure differences throughout the morning.

The Race Team and RO Chris Harris did a great job, making use of the full length of the reservoir and re-set the course and the start line several times before the first start to provide the best possible racing. Two 3-lap races were sailed to finish the series, each of 45-50 minutes.

Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11 - photo © Guy Noble

Race 1

During the start sequence the pin became favoured and at start time it was hard to cross the line on starboard. Those who just managed to clear the pin and hold on for a minute or so did the best as they tacked onto the port lay line in a big left shift that lasted the rest of the beat. The top 6 windward mark placings were essentially fixed from about 3 minutes into the race, with any place changes reflecting small upwind speed differences.

Orlando had a good angle into the first windward mark as a result of the left shift and led at the mark from Gary Bullock, with series leader Tony Woods rounding in 4th.

The first run saw the fleet compress slightly as the gusts hit the boats behind first. On the second beat the leaders held on port after the mark and that beat was dominated by a major right-hand persistent shift. Tony Woods clawed his way into 2nd by the end of the second beat and closed significantly on Orlando on the very broad top reach.

Orlando and Tony had a good lead over the chasing pack by the end of the second lap and match-raced over the last lap. Orlando tacked on Tony several times, until Orlando inexplicably did not respond to Tony's tack in the last 2 minutes of the beat and almost let Tony through, just managing to tack underneath him at the last windward mark. They rounded nose-to-tail.

A luffing match ensued during the top part of the run and when Tony disengaged Orlando kept a close eye on him the whole way down the final run. It finished Orlando, Tony (those two still with a good lead), followed by Guy Noble, Marshall King and Tim Crook leading a tightly-bunched second group.

Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11 - photo © Guy Noble

Race 2

A pin bias developed during the first start sequence as a result of a passing rain shower which led to a general recall at the first attempt. The wind went light before the next start (6-8 knots) and it was hard (for me at least) to see which side was likely to pay up the beat, with the fleet fairly well spread along the line at 1 minute 30 to go. By start time, the pin was well-favoured (left shift and pressure) and the early leaders, who included Tony Woods, tacked and crossed the fleet easily. The first beat was anything but straightforward, with large and sudden changes in strength and direction.

At one point, two-thirds of the way up the beat, boats in the middle of the course on opposite tacks were pointing almost at the mark. From my position towards the back of mid-fleet it seemed that Michael Hicks led from Chris Ellyatt at the first mark, with Tony Woods rounding in fourth, again.

The conditions meant that there was everything to play for down the run, with big gusts (now back up to 10-12 knots) helping the boats behind to gain distance, if not places.

The second beat was a little windier, but still shifty and passed in a blur of being bounced around by windshifts and other boats for anyone outside the top group. At the windward mark, Michael Hicks, who had played the right side, seemed to have a solid lead, from Tony Woods, and a chasing pack of Chris Ellyat/David Surkov led Marshall King and Orlando down the top reach.

Marshall passed the 2 heavyweights high on the reach and Orlando managed to get water on Chris at the gybe mark. At the leeward mark it was Michael Hicks still with what seemed a solid lead from Tony, then a gap to Marshall and Orlando. For most of the beat the right side seemed to pay and by the top third Michael, Orlando and Marshall were firmly favouring the right side. Tony had other ideas and was vindicated by a lefthand shift that saw him lead at the last windward mark.

From there he matched Michael's moves down the run to win the race, the day (with a very impressive 1, 2 and never out of the top 4) and the series. Orlando in 3rd just managed to hold off a fast-charging Tom Curran and Marshall King down the run.

Tony Woods' best on the day performance sealed his win of the Spring Series, with a convincing 17 points net, dropping two 4ths and two 5ths, from Orlando (20 points net), Guy Noble (31), Andrew Whitaker (54) and John Curran (55). With 49 ILCA7 entries and 20 completing at least 10 races congratulations goes to all who competed in what was a hard fought series.

Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11 - photo © Guy Noble

Learning point

The key on the day, as so often at QM, was starting in a position to be able to take advantage of the first shift. Those who get the first shift right get a jump on the fleet and the all-important choice of lane and of when and where to tack thereafter.

Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11 - photo © Guy Noble

Overall Results: (See also: Full results)

Queen Mary Sailing Club Spring Series Week 11 - photo © Guy Noble