Crouch Yacht Club Nutcracker Series - Race 3
by Phillip Harbott 21 Dec 2017 21:25 GMT
17 December 2017
Sapphire rounding a mark during race 3 of the Crouch Yacht Club Nutcracker Series © Alan Shrimplin
The last race of the season from the Crouch Yacht Club took place on Sunday and was the postponed final race in the Nutcracker series combined with the Christmas Grand Prix. The race officer was greeted by thick for and the 11am start looked unlikely. However, by half past eleven, the fog was clearing and a start of 11.55 was called.
Mantra were leading the Nutcracker series with Glorious Fools a point behind with Double Trouble third, so were keen to race. As the warning signal went, out of the top three, only Mantra was out to race, with Double Trouble returning to the Yacht Harbour with an engine issue. On the gun, Martinique had the best start, with Sapphire, Martin and Kirsty Brooks' Dehler, 33, and Paul Trueman's X37 Exile close behind. Mantra were some way off the line, further down river, but in a better breeze in the middle of the river.
Martinique, Mark Lyons' Dehler 34 were soon overhauled by Exile and Mantra, who sailed over the two Dehlers very quickly after the start. Exile rounded Number 13 first, followed by Phillip and Sally Harbott's Aphrodite 101 close behind. Sapphire followed, with Martinique some way behind finding the light winds challenging and sailing only two up.
As the boats ran and reached down to Number 5, Paul Trueman stayed white sail, but Mantra and Sapphire were quick to hoist kites, with Phillip in Mantra hoisting their white AP. Before Number 5, Mantra got ahead of the X37 to lead on the water, but Exile quickly got back ahead on the wind. As the wind became more flukey, and dropped, with the start of the ebb tide, the race officer shortened the course, with Exile taking line honours, closely followed by Mantra who managed to hold off the higher rated Sapphire. Martinique finished some way off in fourth.
On corrected time, Mantra won with Exile second, and Sapphire just under a minute behind in third and Martinique fourth. This gave Phillip Harbott in Mantra the Nutcracker Trophy, which was presented after racing. In the Grand Prix, a fun festive event involving Christmas has and similar, Martinique took the Horse Trophy with Exile second, Sapphire third and Mantra fourth.