Crouch Yacht Club Autumn Series - Race 7
by Sally Harbott 19 Nov 2018 20:24 GMT
18 November 2018
Eleven yachts started on Sunday, the penultimate race in the series being hosted by the Burnham Sailing Club, with a strong North Easterly breeze and brilliant sunshine. The course was a fair tide beat down to Holliwell then a long foul tide run up to Number 13.
At the gun, Mantra got away first, with some space between the Aphrodite 101 and the next pack of Fidelio, the Contessa 35 from Maldon owned by Malcolm Fawkes, Gosling and Courts' SJ 27 Grace and Danger, Ophelia and Bella Vela, owned by Andy Heel. Skullduggery were at the back on the South Shore behind Dan Tribe in his UFO Traigh who were more mid river, away from the bulk of the fleet who were up under the town.
On the beat, Fidelio got through Mantra by Rice and Cole, with Ian Keam George in Lucy Lee overhauling the 101 by the Horse. Jeannie, John Saunders' Elan 31 also got past Mantra at the Horse, but close racing saw Mantra get back ahead of Jeannie on this beat just past the Roach.
Malcolm Fawkes in Fidelio rounded Holliwell a good 5 boat lengths ahead of Lucy Lee and Paul Trueman in his X37, Exile; Skullduggery owned by Don Rawlings got an inside overlap on Mantra and rounded ahead of her with Jeannie in fifth just behind Mantra having tried hard also to get an inside overlap. Fidelio didn't fly their kite and goosewinged their large headsail. Lucy Lee are racing in the no spinnaker division so were quickly caught by Mantra who had a quick hoist of their distinctive red asymmetric opting for a smaller kite in the breeze. Skullduggery were slow with their kite hoist and let Mantra through on the North shore in the shallows. Jeannie had spinnaker issues with it going up sideways at first and lost some ground to the leading few. Behind them came a group with Ophelia, Misled, and Traigh, being led by Grace and Danger who had kept right up in contention on the beat, not letting the higher rated boats get away.
On the run upriver, Mantra worked her way up to first but at Number 1 Fidelio put her large masthead kite up and this meant that Mantra didn't stretch her on the water lead any further. Skullduggery were also up with these two, with John Saunders and Exile and Lucy Lee behind. Grace and Danger were still right up flying their red and white spinnaker, with the non spinnaker Ophelia, Misled owned by Richard Oram Traigh racing only two up so opting not to go spinnaker just behind.
Just up river of the Burnham Sailing Club line Misled broached with her large mast head kite up, but they soon got back under control. At Number 13, Fidelio rounded ahead, and started the beat back to the line having to work hard to keep the lower rated Mantra behind. Fidelio took line honours, with Mantra 22 seconds behind. Don Rawling in Skullduggery was next a further 43 seconds behind and Exile followed. Jeannie were next closely followed by Lucy Lee. Grace and Danger finished some 5 minutes behind, with Ophelia, Misled and Traigh in quick succession.
On corrected time, Mantra won, with Grace and Danger second just a second ahead of Fidelio who took third. Just 39 seconds separated 2nd place to fifth, with Skullduggery fourth and Jeannie fifth. Overall Mantra lead, with Jeannie and Fidelio in second and third, with just 2 points separating second and third.