Perishers Series results and reports

Sunday February 21st: Perishers series finishies on a high.

Written by Leslie Ross Tuesday, 23 February 2010 08:27

Jigalong makes it 2 wins but Russell and Wave Rider scrape home.

Lymington Town Sailing Club Perishers Series ended in perfect sailing conditions on Sunday 21st February 2010. The series was initiated in 2009 by Simon Ward (Past Commodore) and with a dedicated team for the series including Duncan Wright as Assistant Race Officer, John Bonney RIB Captain and his team of safety boat crew; the second series in 2010 has seen a significant increase in race participation from an average of 15 boats per race to 19 boats per race. The overall results had only two points separating the first three boats demonstrating the very close competition.

20100221_perishers_fleet_14

With Richard Russell leading the series, only Adrian Baker sitting two places behind could rob him of the series. While Leslie Ross could draw the series with a 1st but Russell would still win on countback.

The final race saw the arrival of the wind giving a great sail for the 24 racing dinghies that came to the river line. With a westerly gusting to 15 knots this big fleet got away first time and it was the Blaze of Leslie Ross that was the first to show leading Nigel Wallbank's Musto Skiff, Jigalong, to the first mark at No 10 post. The Skiffs additional power came to play and Wallbank was soon in the lead with other fast handicap boats beginning to show. The race team management team of Simon Ward and Duncan Wright, set the windward mark to the west of the river, and at this point the faster boats such as RS 800s, RS600, RS 400 and International 14 were beginning to show. With a circuit in the Solent the fast boats stretched their legs but it was becoming clear that Greg Carey's Laser and the Blazes of Leslie Ross and Myles Mence were hanging on and would be in the reckoning.

20100221_perishers_stratos Ross had the bit in his teeth and fought off Carey by a mere 9 seconds on handicap with Mence 30 second behind that. It was all to no avail because Jigalong took line honours and had made her time beating Ross by 7 minutes over the line and by over 50 seconds on handicap. Wallbank was also the only boat to boat to win two races this closely fought series.

Back in the pack Russell and Baker were having a nightmare races. The course did not not suit Russell's Vareo and he finished 13th but it was not unlucky for Russell as he took the series from last years winner, Ross, Baker tried to cut the corner coming out of the river but hit a shoal and lost his rudder for a few minutes before he could make repairs and he came home fifteenth but held onto 3rd overall. 2 point separated 1st and 3rd.

So it was another great Perishers series and Club Commodore Richard Jenner thanked Simon Ward for initiating this series which has proved so popular. It was also great to see the broad levels of skill with International sailors, many past national Champions and relative beginners all in the same race. Newcomers to sailing often start in the club Saturday sailing and it was pleasing to see so many of them graduate to senior racing. It was particularly pleasing to see junior sailors from the Optimist fleet, Anna Prescott and Jess Eales in their RS Feva joining in and performing very well, flying their assymetric spinnaker to great effect.

The spring Series starts next Sunday (28th February) with the first start at 1030 at the Bavertock Committee Boat.

Race 8

1st Musto Skiff Nigel Wallbank,2nd Blaze Leslie Ross, 3rd Laser Greg Carey, 4th Blaze Myles Mence (Royal Solent YC) 5th 29 Geoff Havers and Jo Barriball

Overall

1st,RS Vareo Richard Russell, 2nd Blaze Leslie Ross, 3rd Streaker Adrian Baker, 4th Musto Skiff Nigel Wallbank, 5th Lightning John Claridge, 6th Laser Tim Knight.

Sunday 14th February: Russell's Up a Win to consolidate lead

Written by Nick Hopwood Tuesday, 16 February 2010 23:23

The Perishers Series has been dominated by light wind sailing, Richard Russell sailing his RS Vareo become the 7th winner on Sunday 14th February. Russell consistently gets the tactics right and is a master sailor in these types of winds. By adding a first to three seconds and an 8th, holds a 2 point lead with one race to go. His only problem on the day was that his nearest challengers were also in form and 2nd, 3rd and 4th in the series also finished this race in that order.

Again Simon Ward, the Race Officer for the series set an interesting course in the Solent which he shortened to bring the faster boats to finish in just over the hour. 19 competitors turned out and this fine fleet was lead home by Nigel Wallbank in his Musto Skiff but he could only manage 7th on corrected time. The real battle was going on behind with the slower boats.

After the start two of the favourites were recalled for being over the line, including the previous weeks winner. It was again Adrian Baker in his Streaker and John Claridge in his Lightning that were clearly in the lead on handicap in the early stages. Russell again used his spinnaker to get clear of the pack and the Blazes of Leslie Ross and Myles Mentz rounded the first mark just seconds ahead of Claridge and Baker. Mentz and Ross pulled away from the pack and had a fine dual on the beat from the Starting Platform back to the River finish line, with Ross winning while closing fast on Russell's Vareo at the finish. Russell held on to win by a minute. Meanwhile Baker was holding onto Claridge's coat tails and his aptly named Squeaker took second place from Ross by 1 second. Claridge was 4th by 20 seconds.

This close racing has typified the series and Russell's consistency could be hard to beat if the last race is held in light winds. It should now be between the current leaders but they could be vunerable if there are fresher breezes on Sunday. The series has now attracted 37 entries.

Race Results and Overall Series positions

1st Wave Rider (RS Vareo) Richard Russell, 2nd Squeaker (Streaker) Adrian Baker, 3rd Blaze 714 Leslie Ross, 4th Lighning 368 John Claridge

Sunday 7th February: Rarely Sober Goes on a Binge...

Written by Nick Hopwood Monday, 15 February 2010 00:07

....- but its Wave Rider's Champagne

The sixth race of the Lymington Town Sailing Clubs Perishers Series was held on the 7th February and was the fourth light wind race of the series. In grey, cold conditions all 18 starters finished a long race over an excellent course from the club line out into the Solent. John Bonney and his safety boat team laid an excellent leeward mark giving the fleet had a true beat before a small detour before the long haul back up the river. Simon Ward, (Race Officer) back from an exotic break in the Caribbean, no doubt suffering from jet lag, set the long course which tested the competitors. He did get the fleet away at the first start even though they were pushing the line. Simon initiated the Perishers and is delighted with the competitive event. With five separate winners in the first five races, race six was to throw up yet another!

First to show in their RS400 were Sam Parker & Anna Lubgrove who used their asymmetric spinnaker to drive them out from the windward end of the line. Others to show early were John Cooper & Becci Wigley in Rarely Sober and Miles Mence in his Blaze. At the first two marks Sam & Anna where doing well but their navigation was a awry and as they tried to use their spinnaker on the upwind leg, The Rarely Sober crew were obviously stone cold sober and they grabbed the lead. Last weeks winner, Orangina, was also going well at this stage but big calm patches on the final leg to home put paid to their chances. It was Rarely Sober that took the win, beating Sam and Anna by two minutes but they could only finish fourth on handicap. .

As John and Becci headed for the bar, a little further back, Richard Russel in his Vareo, Wave Rider, was again going well. This single handed dinghy with an asymmetric spinnaker was as fast as the RS 400s down wind and was probably in the lead at the last mark. While others revelled on the beat, Richard minimised the damage and finished 7 minutes behind Rarely Sober on the water, good enough for second place. Miles Mence in his Blaze sailed a great last beat to take third.

This was John and Becci's first win of the series but it is the consisant Russell with three 2nd places and an 8th who consolidates his overall lead. Adrian Baker in his Streaker took a fifth on the day and, with two discards kicking in, he lies in second place and is only 1 point behind Russell. With two races to go the series is still wide open and if the wind picks up the current leaders are all still vulnerable.

Sunday January 31st: Orangina puts Fizz into the Perishers Race 5

Written by Richard Phillips Sunday, 31 January 2010 00:00

Competitors had to remove the ice and frost from boat covers before launching onto a Lymington River sparkling in the sunshine but very little breeze. Race officer Mike Beggs and his assistant Duncan Wright, optimistic that the wind would fill in, set a three lap course. They sent the fleet to the Jack in the Basket and then west to a windward mark and then back to a mark in the river near the slipway. The wind did not arrive and sensibly the race was shortened, allowing most of the fleet around an hour of racing.

While most of the fast fleet competitors sat in the Lymington Town Bar drinking coffee and bemoaning the lack of wind, Geoff Havers and Jo Barriball put to sea with 14 other stalwarts. The light winds are not ideal for a 29er, but Geoff and Jo used their asymmetric spinnaker to great effect, fizzing into a early lead, and doing a horizon job on the rest of the fleet. The shifting wind allow spinnakers to be flown both out and into the river giving a huge advantage over normally "aspirated" boats. They won by over two minutes on corrected time beating another asymmetric spinnaker boat, Wave Rider, the RS Vareo sailed by Richard Russell. After an indifferent start Richard got the tactics right on the way out of the river, his yellow spinnaker pulling him through to leeward of the fleet. Richard just held off the potentially much faster RS600 of Nigel King to the windward mark and was then able to set his spinnaker again to pull away on the long leg to the finish at the club line. Richard Russell has completed every race in the series and takes the overall lead with three races to go.

Back in the pack Adrian Baker, sailing Squeaker, was having mixed fortunes. The Streaker Class is a known light wind performer and Adrian was making excellent progress until tacking for the final mark when he failed to notice the fast recovering Laser of Tim Knight. After taking his penalty turns Adrian still had time in hand taking third and pushing Leslie Ross's Blaze into fourth. John Claridge, unable to repeat his win from the previous week took fifth from Knight to 6th. This is enough to put Knight into second place overall with Nigel King in third.

With three races remaining, it is still all to play for with at least eight or nine boats able to take the coveted trophy.

Sunday 24th January : Lightening strikes in clear blue sky’s

Written by Richard Phillips Sunday, 24 January 2010 00:00

The 4th race of the Lymington Town Sailing Club’s Perishers Series was held on Sunday 24th January in clear blue sky’s and light winds. This led to a race that favoured the slower boats in the handicap ratings. Combined with low tide and big areas of calm it also led to some strange outcomes.

The series leader Nigel Walbank, the most consistent of sailors, managed to "park" in the river and finish last on the water! It is rare indeed that a Musto Skiff would be beaten by half an hour on the water by a Lightning, a much slower boat, but that is what John Claridge managed to achieve, taking the win, his first in the series. John sailing to his ex world champion pedigree, took a grip of the race from the river exit to a mark at Oxey, always finding breeze and overtaking many nominally faster boats. Claridge is the builder of the Lightning and the Lymington Scow is a popular winner.

As the fleet turned at Oxey, John Cooper and Becci Wigley in their RS400 "Rarely Sober" were out in front and looking good, but their hopes faded with the wind after turning for home and hitting a calm patch. They held on to take line honours and 4th place on corrected time. Myles Mence in his Blaze was also near the front but retired to sail home as the wind faded and he needed to get back to Yarmouth. Adrian Baker in his Streaker, always a strong light wind combination, found his way through the shifts and lulls to finish second with a Blaze sailed by Leslie Ross in third.

Race officer Richard Lilley and his volunteer team did a great job and although only 10 of the 19 starters finished the course it was a suitable challenge.