Brass Monkey Series at Liverpool Yacht Club - Week 2
by Richard Baldwin 30 Jan 2009 12:22 GMT
25 January 2009
Ragtime is dismasted on day two of the Brass Monkey Series at Liverpool Yacht Club © Richard Baldwin
Liverpool Yacht Club’s second race of the renard-systems.co.uk Brass Monkey series was held on Sunday January 25th. A strong southerly breeze over the flood tide gave conditions just on the acceptable side.
14 yachts started the race and the conditions caused 3 to retire as strong gusts and short waves caused mayhem for several boats. Most seriously Steve Carruthers' & Geoff Whitaker’s Ragtime IV was dismasted when beating upriver, the mast snapped about 2/3rds up the mast, above the spreaders, Gullmaren was on the scene within minutes, standing by in case aid was required. The heroic efforts of Duncan a rock climbing member of the Ragtime crew saved the yacht by clambering up the mast stump to secure the sail and yacht. For the second consecutive race Mick Ryan’s JLS blew out her main, this time irrevocably and had to retire. Jack Hilton’s She Fever from class 3 completed the retirements. Several class 1 yachts tried flying their spinnakers and this resulted in some spectacular broaches!
Race Officer Paul Boycott’s courses, as normal, had both fleets sailing up river and out of sight of the race officer unfortunately the recent storms had eliminated the “Midway” buoy much to the consternation of the class 2 & 3 fleet, who couldn’t find it!! However by self management and the assistance of Gullmaren the fleet substituted G9 instead.
The Prima 38’s dominated class 1 with Glyn Sheffield’s Dynamite Tee taking both line and class honours followed by Richard Booth’s Another Nods and Jim Cartwright’s Beneteau Daydream Believer third. Andy Farrell in the much smaller “The f word” came in fourth.
Class 2 saw the Sigma 33’s of Michael Inman take the class ahead of Paul Hampson. Stuart Lofthouse’s Impala, was temporarily handicapped halfway round when his jib halyard failed, came third. Andy Freeney’s Mistoffelees was fourth.
Richard Baldwin’s Tango took class 3 line honours but Warwick Telfer in Clarevouyant managed to stay in contention to take class honours with Annie Ward third in DiRich.
Day 2 Results:
Class 1
1st. Glyn Sheffield’s Prima 38 Dinamite-Tee, 5231
2nd. Richard Booth’s Prima 38 Another Nods, 5345
3rd. Jim Cartwright’s Beneteau First 34.7 Daydream, 5826
Class 2
1st. Michael Inman’s Sigma 33 Musketeer, 6091
2nd. Paul Hampson’s Sigma 33 Magic Moments, 6140
3rd. Stuart Lofthouse’s Impala Skukusa, 6342
Class 3
1st. Warwick Telfer’s Achilles 24 Clarevouyant, 5975
2nd. Richard Baldwin’s Superseal Tango, 6116
3rd. Annie Ward’s GK24 DiRich, 6515