INEOS Solent Circuit - Reports & Results

Race 6 INEOS Solent Circuit ( 13 Nov )

Written by Robin Milledge Sunday, 18 November 2012 00:00

Solent Circuit Final Report       

Sunday 18^th November dawned cold and bright to greet competitors as they prepared for the final race of the 2012 Solent Circuit sponsored by INEOS. However, for the third week running the weather gods were not playing ball as a glassy calm lay over the west Solent. The race officer made the decision to postpone for one hour and whilst competitors gathered in the Solent Room at LTSC to enjoy coffee and bacon rolls, the race committee looked hopelessly for some indication that a fair wind would materialise. Alas, the wind failed to arrive and racing was cancelled for an unprecedented third week in a row. The final results were taken from the first three races where competition was fierce with final positions in several classes being decided on tie breaks. The prize giving was held in the Solent Room at 1300hrs. Final results for the series:

Class 1 IRC

1^st No Chance, Chris & Hannah Neve & Peter Schofield, RLymYC.

2^nd Jelly Baby, William Newton, RLymYC.

3^rd Boomerang, Ray Crouch, LTSC.

Picture: Peter Scholfield, Hannah Neve & Robin Milledge (Principal Race Officer )

Class 2 IRC

1^st Hephzibah, David Lees, RLymYC,

2^nd Brightwork, Bob Baker, RLymYC,

3^rd Jett, Andy Baker, LTSC.

Picture: Mrs D Lees & Robin Milledge

Class 3 Lymington Handicap

1^st Red Kite, Roger Harford, LTSC

2^nd Rooie Raker, Nick Morgan & Oliver Pettifer, RLymYC

3^rd Fly Orchid, Paul Fox, LTSC

Picture: Roger Harford & Robin MIlledge

Class 4 Folkboats

1^st Padfoot, Chris Hills, RLymYC

2^nd Second Wind, Richard Martin, RLymYC

3^rd Samphire James Hoare & Graham Coulter, LTSC

Picture: Chris Hills & Robin Milledge

Class 5 RS Elites

1^st Kiss, Martin Wadhams, RLymYC

2^nd Livez, Simon Cavey

3^rd E’tu, Steve Powell, RLymYC

Picture: Martin Wadhams & Robin Milledge

Race 5 INEOS Solent Circuit ( 11 Nov )

Written by Robin Milledge Sunday, 11 November 2012 00:00

INEOS Solent Circuit Race 5 - Report

 Following the disappointment of the previous weekends racing having to be abandoned due to strong winds and rough sea conditions, on Sunday 11th November competitors in the Ineos Solent Circuit were met by flat calm conditions in the Western Solent, with bright skies but virtually no wind. The race officer decided to go out on time and get the committee vessel anchored, in the hope that conditions would improve. Competitors slowly made their way to the race area, but conditions were not looking good. What breeze there was, was very light and shifty, swinging around between west and north-west, with the ebb tide starting to build up to a flow of at least two knots. By 10:30 it was apparent that the wind was not going to materialise and, after searching a number of different weather sites for any signs of a forecast improvement, the race committee made the difficult decision to abandon racing for a second weekend in a row. With only three races of the six race series completed, competitors are hoping for a bit more luck with the weather for the final Sunday of the series, on 18^th November. The Race Committee will be aiming to run two races for each class to catch up on lost time, with the Series prize giving taking place in the Solent Room shortly afterwards.

The racing season wraps up on Sunday 25^th November, with the traditional Charity Pursuit Race in aid of the BBC Children in Need Appeal. Minimum entry fee is £15. The Notice of Race and Entry Forms are available at www.ltsc.co.uk/charity-pursuit. You do not have to have raced in the Solent Circuit to take part, and all types of yacht above 18ft LOA are eligible, so if you want to have one final race of the year, get in touch with the sailing office and get you entry in.   After the race, there will be a Charity Auction for a wide range of lots including a number of generous donations from local businesses.

Race 3 INEOS Solent Circuit ( 28 Oct )

Written by Robin Milledge Sunday, 28 October 2012 00:00

Ineos Solent Circuit Race 3 – Report

 After two weekends of shifty northerly winds the competitors in the Ineos Solent Circuit, run by Lymington Town Sailing Club, were met by a steady westerly breeze of around 10 to 15 knots on Sunday 28^th October for race three of the series. With the tide settling to the ebb just as the start sequence was underway, crews had to be wary of being too early at the gun, but Class One got away cleanly on a beat to a moveable windward mark then a reach across the Solent to Harken, on the Island shore. William Newton’s J105, Jelly Baby, made the early running, but was overhauled on the water by Chris and Hannah Neve’s Beneteau 35 No Chance. After just under two hours racing the two were separated by just one second on corrected time, with Jelly Baby taking the honours. James Heald’s

J105, Flawless J was third, with guest helm Andy Roberts, beting Ray Crouch’s Boomerang by just six seconds. In Class Two Bob Bakers X332, Brightwork, led from the front to take line honours and 1^st on corrected time. David Lee’s High Tension 36, Hephzibah, was second and Andy Bakes tubo’d 707, Jet third. The Class Three start saw the fleet get away cleanly but for one unfortunate competitor taking the outer distance buoy a little too closely and becoming firmly anchored to it. The mark laying team quickly deployed an alternative buoy and the next start sequence was under way with the minimum delay. In Class Three, Steve Homewood’s Espace Catamaran, Molly IV, finally showed her potential, with a lines honours and handicap win, although the handicapper will be looking closely at the numbers in the coming weeks. Richard and Robert Truscott were second in their Westerley Konsort, Unity, and Roger Harford was third in his Laser SB3, Red Kite. The Folkboats start was closely fought, with almost all the fleet nailing the start and heading off to a moveable mark followed by a long run into the tide to Harken, on the Island shore. Chris Hills, Padfoot, again took the spoils, followed by James Harrison, Tagomago, and Richard Martin, Second Wind. The RS Elites were given a short round the cans race of two rounds, with a mixture of upwind, reaching and running legs. Martin Wadhams, sailing Kiss, dominated, with Simon Cavey on Livez, second and Peter Lister on Pipefish, third. The Solent Circuit is supported by Harken UK Ltd. Lymington Yacht Haven and Ringwood Brewery. Racing continues on Sunday 4^th November. Late entries will be accepted via the race office. Contact details at www.ltsc.co.uk.

Day 2 INEOS Solent Circuit ( 21 Oct )

Written by Robin Milledge Sunday, 21 October 2012 00:00

Race 2 – Report

The second race of the INEOS Solent Circuit for keel boats, hosted by Lymington Town Sailing Club, took place on Sunday 21^st October.  Fifty four yachts came to start line in the Western Solent, to be met for the second weekend running, by a light and shifty northerly breeze. With the tides starting to flood there was a short delay whilst the race officer fine-tuned the start line. Class One made a clean start, with a short beat to a movable mark and two rounds of a seven mile course comprising two windward leeward loops. Chris and Hannah Neve’s Beneteau 35 No Chance, with Peter Schofield at the helm, again showed the way with line honours and first place on corrected time. William Newton’s J105, Jelly Baby and Ray Crouch’s Adams 10, Boomerang raced boat for boat right to the finish with Boomerang taking second by two minutes on corrected time.

In IRC Class Two a couple of boats were early at the start, having to re-cross the line. Bob Baker’s X332, Brightwork led the fleet home, but David Lees High Tension 36, Hephzibah took the win on corrected time with Eric Reynolds, Glass Onion OD, Shallot in third. In Class three, Lymington handicap, Roger Harford again led the way in his SB3, Red kite, but slipped to fourth on corrected time. There was some confusion over the gate at the end of each round, with some yachts being disqualified for crossing the RS Elites line in error. At the finish, Richard Wallrock’s classic old gaffer, Bee Leigh took first, Nick Morgan and Ollie Pettifers CO26 Rooie Rakker was second and Richard and Robert Truscott’s Westerly Konsort, Unity in third. After a cautious start the Folkboat fleet followed Class three on the same course.

Chris Hill in Padfoot got back to winning ways, followed home by Richard Martin’s Second Wind and James Hoare and Graham Coulter in Samphire.

The RS Elite’s had two races on a windward / leeward course. Results were the same for both races with Martin Wadhams Kiss, in first, Steve Powell’s E’Tu second and Simon Cavey’s Livez third. The Solent Circuit is supported by Harken UK Ltd. Lymington Yacht Haven and Ringwood Brewery. Racing continues on Sunday 28^th October. Late entries will be accepted via the race office. Contact details at www.ltsc.co.uk.

Day 1 INEOS Solent Circuit ( 14 Oct )

Written by Robin Milledge Sunday, 14 October 2012 00:00

INEOS Solent Circuit report – Sunday 14^th October

The Solent Circuit 2012, run by the Lymington Town Sailing Club and sponsored by INEOS, got under way on Sunday 14^th October. The fleet of 49 yachts, across five classes, were met by a light northerly wind and a light mist over the Solent as they sailed out to the committee boat anchored just to the east of the Lymington River. The race committee set the course close to the mainland shore to avoid the strongest of the building ebb tide. Class 1 and 2 had a windward / leeward loop, before returning to the gate for a second round. Class 3 and Folkboats, a simple square course.  Racing got under way on time, with IRC Class 1 being led away by William Newton’s J105 ‘Jelly Baby’; however, she was soon overhauled by Chris and Hannah Neve’s Beneteau 35 ‘No Chance’, who led the class home to take line honours and a win on corrected time. In IRC 2, Andy Bakers modified Hunter 707, ‘Jett’, showed the way, taking line honours, but losing out on corrected time to Eric Reynolds ‘Shallot’. Class 3, sailing under Lymington Handicap, were the largest class, with fourteen entries. Roger Harfod’s Laser SB3 ‘Red Kite’ excelled in the light airs to lead from the start and take the class win by nearly three minutes from Pat Stables Trapper 300 ‘Google Eye’ and Allan Hills J30 ‘Colleen’.

With the wind dying and the ebb tide building to over two knots, the race officer shortened the course, the first few boats in the handicap classes managed to cross the line before the wind died away, but most yachts found themselves stranded out in the tide and struggling to make progress up wind. The entire Folkboat fleet were swept almost back to the river mouth and the RS Elite fleet was turned back to front as they rounded their leeward mark only to be halted by the foul tide. However, patience paid off for most crews as the wind filled in again allowing boats to claw their way up tide to the finish. In the Folkboat fleet, the flukey conditions saw some new names at the front of the fleet, with Nick Freeston’s ‘Sonja’ taking 1^st place, from James Hoare and Graham Coulter’s ‘Samphire’ and Richard Martin’s ‘Second Wind’.

In the RS Elite fleet, Steve Powell in ‘E’tu’ showed familiar  boat speed and looked to be in for a first win of the series until the leeward mark saw the fleet park up in the tide. Simon Cavey, sailing ‘Livez’, made the best of the conditions to take the win, with Martin Wadham’s ‘Kiss’ second and Marcus Bates ‘Timeless’, third. Richard & Jocelyn Moxey, with top professional crew, Nathaniel Bodley on hand to rig the boat placed fourth in ‘Matterhorn Jack’, after starting a fashionable nine minutes late.  With the wind struggling to reach 5 knots, the race officer called a halt to any further racing and the fleet returned to the Town Sailing Club where the Solent Room was packed to capacity. The Solent Circuit is supported by Harken UK Ltd. Lymington Yacht Haven and Ringwood Brewery. Racing continues on Sunday 21^st October. Late entries will be accepted via the race office. Contact details at www.ltsc.co.uk.