Hydd Gwyn Series for IRC at Crouch Yacht Club - Race 1
by Sally Harbott 16 Apr 2012 15:04 BST
15 April 2012
The first race of the Crouch Yacht Club Hydd Gwyn Series for IRC boats took place on Sunday 15th April. Four boats started in a good 10 knots of north westerly breeze. The course took the boats up river to Cliff and Canewdon twice, before reaching back to Number 7, and re rounding Number 15 to finish.
The fleet started mainly on the North Shore, with Frank Curtis in Just Is, a J95 hitting the line first, pursued by the rest of the fleet. Inn Spirit stayed more in the middle of the river, and took some time to overhaul the lower rated boats. Double Trouble an SJ 320 got through Just Is to round Number 13 in second place from Inn Spirit on the first lap, and held on to that position with Just Is third and Erotic Bear an SJ 35 fourth.
On the leg down to Number 7, Inn Spirit struggled to hold her kite, and dropped it at the wharf, with Double trouble doing a similar thing. Just Is hung on to her asymmetric for longer, but suffered some spectacular broaches before returning to white sails. Erotic Bear chose to drop her kite earlier and sailed down comfortably.
After rounding 15 for the final time, Double Trouble, Just Is and Erotic Bear all managed to carry spinnakers to the finish line, although Inn Spirit had sailed that leg under white sails.
Watch the start thanks to Tony Merewether
On corrected time, Inn Spirit an HOD 35 owned by Alan Bartlett and sailed by Ian Hart was first, with Duncan and Beccy Haley’s Double Trouble second, Frank Curtis in Just Is third and Paul Wood and Mike Dennehy’s Erotic Bear fourth.
Full results can be found on the Crouch Yacht Club website www.cyc.org.uk