Charity Pursuit Race Report
Written by Fred Bassett Friday, 26 November 2010 23:11
Lymington Town Sailing Club ran their traditional Charity Pursuit races for keelboats and dinghies on Sunday, and followed up with a dutch auction, to raise a total of £2400.
Race entrants made donations to the charity, and sailed in yet more light north easterly winds. This racing format sees the boats handicapped, with the slowest starting first and the fastest last.
In the dinghy race, Race officer Richard lilley set a down wind start for the eighteen entries which coupled, with a strong tide caught some of the protagonists off guard. First away was the Streaker of Adrian Baker. Over the next forty four minutes the eleven classes started at their allotted times. The final class away were the RS800’s and the chase was on!
After one lap it was Baker in the lead crossing the line minutes before the 800’s started. By lap two Nigel Walbank and Toby Power had gained the lead in the Tasar with David Gautier in his contender hot on their heels.
By lap three the Tasar was still leading with the Contender closing the gap. Back in the pack racing became increasingly tight as the faster classes closed on the boats ahead. By the final lap the Contender and the Tasar were neck and neck but it was the RS800 of Richard Keeton and Richard Mayo who were scything through the pack and were within touch of the leaders.
The race was to finish at 12.15, at 12,13 it was anyone’s race.
Walbank and Gautier became engaged in a match race which allowed Keeton to power past for the win from Gautier with Walbank third.
The twenty four keelboats were set off on a long lap by Race Officer, Joe Blachford, then finished with a windward-leeward legs until the 1200 finish time. As with the dinghies, the faster boats who started last caught up with the slower boats at the front and with only two minutes to go, there was an electic mix of boats challenging for the front. Fergus Harper helming the J109, Jibe, came through at the last turn followed by Peter Scholfields HOD35, Zarafa to pip Crauford McKeon’s RS Elite, Kandoo, into third.
As all boats finished at midday, the flotilla headed back into Lymington en masse, and crews headed for the club’s Solent Room for the prize giving. Prior to this, Commodore Richard Jenner presented all the trophies and glassware for the INEOS Solent Circuit series which had been run over the previous six weeks. The finale was a dutch auction for an array of goods donated to the cause, particularly from Harken. This auction raised £1100 which added to the race entry fees and a raffle at Friday’s Yachting Supper brought the total up to £2400.
Charity Pursuit Race - Dinghy Results >>
Charity Pursuit Race - Keelboat Results >>
Additionally, club members have uploaded some fine photographs of both the dinghies and the keelboats to the LTSC Facebook Page >>
