Royal Lymington Yacht Club Duo Race 3
by Hannah Neve 26 Jun 2012 17:41 BST
23 June 2012
After weeks of windy conditions it was too much for the double handed racers to wish for 10-12 knots and flat water for the third Duo Race of the season. All the forecasts predicted 18 knots gusting up to 25 knots and that is exactly what arrived together but with the benefit of lots of sunshine.
Race Officer Tony Blatchford set a fantastic passage-style course for all classes; after a beat to Hurst against the tide, IRC Class 1 had a monster run with the tide to North Sturbridge while IRC Class 2 and LH had a shorter run to North Ryde Middle. The forecast had put some of the fleet off from coming out to race but there were still 9 boats out on the line for the warning at 10am after Boomerang retired with gear problems before the start.
In Class 1, Ding Dong loved the downwind leg going over the horizon but No Chance and Jellybaby had a much closer time of it, with the J105 loving the course once it turned into a tighter reach past Cowes and getting to N Sturbridge ahead. No Chance pulled ahead on the beat against the tide back to Pylewell but Jellybaby won on handicap from No Chance and Just in Time.
In IRC Class 2 Wookie led Islay round Hurst buoy by a couple of minutes, with Eskymo and Impro 3-4 mins behind. On the long run down to West Ryde Middle Wookie pulled a bit further ahead with Eskymo planing well and making up time on Islay. At WRMiddle it was Wookie by 2 mins from Islay with Eskymo a further 2 mins behind.
After the mark Eskymo went inshore on the island side and Wookie and Islay crossed to the mainland shore where the tide was nearly slack and then found to be ebbing off Beaulieu. Islay held the gap to Wookie to some 2-3 mins beating up the mainland shore, where the flatter inshore water certainly gave a benefit.
At the line Wookie took line honours with Islay 2nd and Eskymo remained well in touch a further 7 mins back to give her the win on corrected time. Charlotte of Lymington as the only boat in LH had a great race against the Class 2 boats. The talk in the bar was of the fantastic run with sunshine and flat water but with the windy conditions one helm admitted to using the lift to get the bar!
IRC Class 1 results
1st, Jellybaby, William Newton/Bill Darley
2nd, No Chance, Chris/Hannah Neve
3rd, Just in Time, Andy Roberts/Mark Etheridge
IRC Class 2 results
1st, Eskymo, David Cowell/Peter Rogers
2nd, Islay, Richard Down/Neville Holloway
3rd, Impro, Richard/Lindsay Breese
LH results
1st, Charlotte of Lymington, Peter Blick/Ali Husband