2012 Perishers Series

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 7 (12th Feb 2012)

Written by Simon Ward Tuesday, 04 January 2011 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 12^th February 2012

Yarmouth visitor makes the journey pay off in LTSC Perishers Series

The seventh race of the LTSC Perishers Series came close to being canned as the conditions up to the scheduled start time were far from conducive with dinghy racing.

The fickle three or four knots of breeze from the North gave race officer Simon Ward concerns about the viability of completing this particular round. However after electing for a 30 minute postponement  the breeze freshened to a useable eight or nine knots and the AP flag was lowered to allow competitors to launch and prepare for the race.

The conditions were now  a mirror image  of the previous week which allowed spinnaker boats to dominate on the way out knowing that well sailed reaching boats would be favoured on the long haul back to the line.

Picture: Dave Gorringe

This was a just result as Myles had sailed over from the Island in very little wind and managed to arrive in Lymington at the published start time.

The second and third places were secured by the consistently sailed RS 400 of Cooper & Wigley and the RS 100 of Richard Russell.

With one race to go the top three places are far from certain and with one more discard to use it will surely go to the wire.

Race 7 Results

1^st Myles Mence                                       Blaze

2^nd John Cooper & Becci Wigley                RS 400

3^rd Richard Russell                                    RS 100

Series Results after 7 races.

1^st John Cooper & Becci Wigley                RS 400    16pts

2^nd Keith & Julie Willis                              RS 400    20pts

3^rd Richard Russell                                   RS 100    22pts

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 6 (5th Feb 2012)

Written by Simon Ward Tuesday, 04 January 2011 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 5^th February 2012

Watson Blazes the Trail in LTSC Perishers Series

The sixth race of the LTSC Perishers Series was sailed in a cold North Easterly with a heavy grey sky which was far from inviting. These conditions were in contrast to the predicted overnight snow which was forecast for much of the country. We were fortunate enough to get more no than a period of moderate rain but this was enough to reduce the number of competitors to an understandable nineteen.

The boats got away to a clean start and the prevailing conditions allowed those with spinnakers to gain a significant advantage as the first mark was a moveable to the South of the river mouth. The fast ebbing tide made rounding this mark no easy task and the congestion led to a coming together of the competitive fleet. Penalties were taken and the beat back to number six post gave the non spinnaker boats an opportunity to make up the lost ground.

Picture: Stuart Watson

The next mark at Baverstock was to be the final rounding, as the failing breeze aided the decision to shorten and send the chilled sailors back to the finish line.

The fetch back home was the determining factor in the outcome with two uni rig single handers filling the top two spots in front of the Merlin Rocket. Several boats retired for failing to sail the correct course but will no doubt reflect on the errors of their ways.

The safety boat crews were the heroes of the day for turning out in such cold conditions to support the racing sailors.

 

Race 6 Results

1^st Stuart Watson                                          Blaze

2^nd Adrian Baker                                           Streaker

3^rd Dave Bursey & Frances Lovell                   Merlin Rocket

 

 Series Results after 6 races.

1^st John Cooper & Becci Wigley                     RS 400                                  14pts

2^nd Keith & Julie Willis                                   RS 400                                  15pts

3^rd Richard Russell                                        RS 100                                  19pts

4^th Dave Bursey & Frances Lovell                    Merlin Rocket                         19pts

            

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 5 (29th Jan 2012)

Written by Simon WArd Tuesday, 04 January 2011 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 29^th January 2012

The fifth race of the Lymington Town Sailing Club’s Perishers series was sailed in very different conditions to the dramatic setting of the previous week. The very light airs gave the race management team further concerns about whether or not the breeze would hold up for the duration of the race. The fickle 7-8 knots was moving constantly between North and East with no real prospect of it settling into something more positive. However twenty five boats came to the start area on a rather cold and cheerless morning.

The fleet got away with spinnakers in evidence from the start. Unfortunately with the breeze direction unreliable kites were hoisted and dropped several times on the slow journey to Cross Boom. The Ferry caused a major disturbance in the light airs which fragmented the fleet who were soon spread out over the length of the river. The RS 400’s in company with the International 14 took control of the race and revelled in the light conditions.

 The race officer shortened at the platform in the failing breeze and this decision was soon shown to be just as the fleet just got home assisted by the flood tide. Predictably the two RS 400’s of Willis / Mayo and Cooper / Wigley filled the first and second spots with the Blaze of Stewart Watson taking third.

Picture: John Cooper & Becci Wigley

Race 4 Results

1^st Keith Willis & Fiona Mayo                          RS 400

2^nd John Cooper & Becci Wigley                     RS 400

3^rd  Stewart Watson                                       Blaze

Series Results after 5 races.

1^st  Keith Willis & Fiona Mayo                         RS 400                        15pts

2^nd John Cooper & Becci Wigley                      RS 400                        18pts

3^rd  Richard Russell                                        RS 100                        25pts

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 4 (22nd Jan 2012 )

Written by Simon Ward Wednesday, 04 January 2012 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 22^nd January 2012

LTSC Perishers face challenging conditions

The fourth race of Lymington Town Sailing Clubs Perishers Series was started in what may have arguably been near perfect conditions with a South Westerly breeze averaging 16-18 knots. The bright and mild morning attracted twenty one boats to the starting line with an already ebbing tide reducing a particularly high tide.

The fleet got away on a broad reach due to the prevailing Northerly influence at the head of the river. The conditions deteriorated quickly after the start which contradicted the predictions in no uncertain fashion, the wind increased dramatically with gusts in excess of 30 knots. The now survival conditions called upon the expertise of the fortunately highly experienced participants and most returned to the slipway unscathed.

The conditions took their inevitable toll and gear failure was apparent on some boats with broken spars and foils giving the safety craft crews an opportunity to use their training to good effect. Eventually all boats and crew were safely returned to the dinghy compound.

Picture: Richard Russell

The problems encountered by the majority should not in any way detract from the efforts of the two boats that completed the course in truly competitive spirit.

Nigel Walbank and Toby Power prevailed in heroic fashion to take line honours in their Tasar. Richard Russell in the RS 100 after taking a few swims on the way secured second place in a truly memorable fourth round.

Race 4 Results

1^st Nigel Walbank & Toby Power                             Tasar

2^nd Richard Russell                                                RS 100

 Series Results after 4 races.

1^st Richard Russell                                                RS 100                                    12pts

2^nd Keith Willis & Abby Keightley Hanson                RS 400                                    14pts

3^rd Nigel King                                                         RS 600                                    16pts

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 3 (15th Jan 2012)

Written by Simon Ward Wednesday, 04 January 2012 00:00

Perishers series lives up to its name.

The third race of the LTSC Perishers series brought 22 boats to the start line on a bright clear morning. The brilliant conditions were accompanied by a raw South Easterly breeze which dropped the temperature by several degrees from that experienced in the first two races. However, this did not deter a competitive fleet that set out from the line to sail a long beat down the river and out to a moveable laid in the central Solent.

The next leg to Baverstock, originally intended by the Race Officer Simon Ward and assistant Sylvia Weger to be a run became a broad reach due to an untimely shift in the breeze. As the breeze freshened to a solid 20 knots the reaching boats began to revel in their preferred conditions. This did not prevent several of the faster boats from taking an unwelcome swim at the gibe mark.

After sailing this same leg again the fleet returned to the slightly calmer waters of the river via Cross Boom post. This

Picture : Myles Mence                              allowed the spinnaker boats to really make up for lost time and they enjoyed a fast ride home.

When the handicap was applied the ever consistent Myles Mence in his Blaze took top spot by almost two minutes from Nigel Walbank and Toby Power in the Tasar. Third spot was occupied once again by Parkstone Visitors Dave Bursey & Frances Lovell in their Merlin Rocket..

Race 3 Results

1^st Myles Mence                                       Blaze

2^nd Nigel Walbank & Toby Power               Tasar

3^rd Dave Bursey & Francis Lovell                Merlin Rocket

Series Results after 3 races.

1^st Myles Mence                                        Blaze                                        3pts

2^nd Dave Bursey & Francis Lovell                 Merlin Rocket                            6pts

3^rd Nigel King                                             RS 600                                     8pts

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 2 (8th Jan 2012)

Written by Simon Ward Wednesday, 04 January 2012 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 8^th January 2012

Light Airs Specialists Take Perishers Second Race

The second race of LTSC Perishers Series attracted a healthy 31 boats. The continued mild spell of weather combined with a light breeze served to make for pleasant sailing conditions. The start line was not a place for the feint hearted but the well behaved fleet got away first time on the top of a substantial spring tide.

With a Northerly influence to the breeze spinnakers were in evidence from the start. The two multihulls were as expected well ahead of the monohulls but not far enough to figure in the top ten at the end. As the fleet began to fragment the light airs specialists, able to make the Picture; Dave Gorringe & Richard Russell      maximum use of kites were seen to dominate proceedings and were to go on to fill the first eight places.

 With most of the racing done in the river, with a short leg in the Solent including a rounding of the start platform the tactics were to play a major role in the outcome. Back in form Richard Russell took the honours with fellow RS 100 sailor Dave Gorringe in second. Third spot was filled with  Parkstone visitors Dave Bursey & Frances Lovell in the Merlin Rocket.

Race 2 Results

1^st Richard Russell                          RS 100

2^nd Dave Gorringe                             RS 100

3^rd Dave Bursey & Francis Lovell       Merlin Rocket

Series Results after 2 races.

1^st Nigel King                                    RS 600                          9pts

2^nd Keith & Julie Willis                       RS 400                          9pts

3^rd John Cooper & Becci Wigley         RS 400                        12pts

2012 Perishers Series: Race Report Race 1 (Jan 1st 2012)

Written by Simon Ward Wednesday, 04 January 2012 00:00

Perishers Series Sunday 1^st January 2012

King Rules the Waves in Race One

The first race of the L.T.S.C. Perishers Series was started just eleven hours into the New Year.  Seventeen sailors came to the start line on a rather cheerless morning with leaden skies and patchy rain.  It was however, incredibly mild which was a bonus as the competitors set off on a short but testing course down the river to Jack in the Basket followed by a couple of windward leeward legs in the Western Solent.

 The big green Tri of Homewood and Level took control of the race from the start and set up a huge advantage which saw them come home several minutes clear of the fleet.  However, the real action was developing farther back in the pack and it became abundantly clear that the reaching single-handlers were the boats to be in.  This was reflected in the results when the handicaps were applied.

A narrow margin win for Ocean Racer Nigel King in an RS 600 from regular Yarmouth visitor Myles Mence in a Blaze with Tig Williams in another 600 concluded an altogether satisfactory first round.

 Results

1^st Nigel King                                            RS 600

2^nd Myles Mence                                       Blaze