2011 Wednesday Early Points Series

2011 Wednesday Early Points Series: Results

Written by Webmaster Sunday, 27 February 2011 00:00

2011 Wednesday Early Points Series: Race Report Race10 (Jun 15 2011)

Written by Barry Sticklen Wednesday, 15 June 2011 00:00

Richard Russell was the race officer this week, he would be assisted by Nick Fagan. This would be the final race of the Wednesday early evening series, with all to play for. The wind was howling when the race officer arrived at the Club and there were no dinghies visible. The wind machine on the Royal Lymington YC’s platform was registering over 20 knots, gusting 25 ish. There was some doubt as to if the race would be sailed. Richard was patient though and as there was the possibility of the wind turning a bit. The decision was to wait and see.

By 6.00pm there was evidence of the wind not only turning a bit but also dropping. It would be down to 15 knots by the start and 12 during the race. The course was rethought and published.

By the time of publishing the course the dinghies had appeared. There ended up being 32 boats waiting for the off. 6 fast, 18 medium, 3 slow, and 5 Wayfarers. The fast fleet were sent to @, +, Y, +,  before returning through the river gate. The medium & Wayfarers were going to @, W, %, Y, W, gate, and the slow fleet were sent out to @, %, gate before heading for the line.

Picture: Nigel Walbank

Unbeknown to the competitors there was also some drama with one of the safety boats, its ‘elephant’s trunk’ had sprung a leak and the river was coming in. There was a tear in the material. The Vice Commodore sprung into action , utilising the Club launch,  and also trained up further two Fortuna drivers in the process.

 Mayfly, the try of John Levell & Steve Homewood certainly did fly. Completing the fast course in under 48 minutes. The next home was the RS Terra of  James Eales with another Terra, that of Robby Boyd just 8 seconds behind. The first medium boat was the Merlin Rocket of Mark Barwell & Louise Johnson who had completed their course in 47 minutes. The first Wayfarer Clive Taylor & Doug Bird took 51 minutes.

John Level & Steve Homewood would take the win on handicap in the fast fleet. Miles Mence, the intrepid sailor from Yarmouth took the Medium fleet. James Eales took the Slow fleet result and Clive Taylor & Doug Bird being first wayfarer home kept that win.

When all boats were scored and average points awarded etc, the series results were calculated.

Along with other series winners, the following will all be invited to the annual LTSC prize giving to be held in the Solent Room on November 26^th 2011

The Series results became:

Fast

1^st John Cooper & Becci Wigley                                RS 400                        11.0 pts

2^nd Nigel Walbank                                                    Musto Skiff                  12.0 pts

3^rd John Levell & Steve Homewood                            Try 18                           13.2 pts

Medium

1^st Mark Barwell & Louise Johnson                           Merlin Rocket                13.0 pts

2^nd Stewart Watson                                                 Blaze                            14.0 pts

3^rd Richard Russell                                                  RS 100                          20.0 pts

 Slow

1^st James Eales                                                      RS Terra                        7.0 pts

2^nd Robby Boyd                                                       RS Terra                      14.0 pts

3^rd Sara Unsworth & Louise Jenner                           Scow                            28.0 pts

 Wayfarers

1^st John Stevens & Oliver Dunne                              Wayfarer                       10.0 pts

2^nd Tony Christopher & John Sims                            Wayfarer                       19.0 pts

3^rd Mike Kinna & Huw Evans                                    Wayfarer                      19.0 pts

2011 Wednesday Early Points Series: Race Report Race 8 (Jun 1 2011)

Written by Barry Sticklen Wednesday, 01 June 2011 00:00

Race 8 of the Wednesday Early Summer Series was sailed on the1st June. Peter Allen was the race officer assisted by Colin Fagan who had stepped in at the last minute. The scheduled assistant race officer had flown off to warmer climes, would you believe sailing.

The race officer was expecting the wind to start dropping, as has had happened so many times before. A cautious course was decided upon. As it happened though, this caution was not necessary as the wind held up quite well. Easy to be wise in hindsight.

Picture: The Wayfarers are off

The course set would take them all out of the river through the river gate. The fast girls and boys went off to Black & Orange, +, then Colten before returning. The Medium & Wayfarers would go to Walbank & Jack in The Basket and the slow fleet would go to % and back. As soon as the 1755 ferry from Yarmouth passed the club pontoon, the sequence started with the fast fleet going at 1835, Wayfarers 1838, medium 1841, the slow fleet brought up the rear at 1844. The tide would be flooding all the while, the wind was coming from the south west at some 12 knots and there was wall to wall sunshine.

A clean start was made by most with only one recall. There were 43 dinghies out there altogether and it was all gathering pace. He tide was quite strong so they mostly stayed inshore to their various windward marks. On reaching the marks though, up went the spinnakers, a wonderful sight. The first boat home came very quickly, almost catching the race officer out. It was the RS 800 of Luke & Emma McEwan. Luke was spotted in the river when the race officer was still in the Clubhouse. The next home was the RS 700 of Ed Reeves followed by the Blaze from Yarmouth helmed by Miles Mence.

 When the fleets were sorted and the handicaps applied, the results became:

 Fast

1^st Luke & Emma McEwan                                         RS 800

2^nd Ed Reeves                                                           RS 700

3^rd John Cooper & Becci Wigley                                 RS 400

 Medium

1^st Miles Mence                                                         Blaze

2^nd Tim & Mayumi Knight                                           Tasar

3^rd Stewart Watson                                                    Blaze

 Slow

1^st John Curtis                                                            Scow

2^nd Liam Willis                                                           RS Terra

3^rd Robby Boyd                                                          RS Terra

 Wayfarers

1^st Marcus Malanaphy & Daniel Craft                           Wayfarer

2^nd Mark & Louise Kirton                                             Wayfarer

3^rd Joe & Eve Blachford                                               Wayfarer

2011 Wednesday Early Points Series: Race Report Race 7 (May 25 2011)

Written by Barry Sticklen Wednesday, 25 May 2011 00:00

Race 7 of the Wednesday Early Summer Series was sailed on the 25th May. It was Tony Stickland’s turn to be race officer this week and John Brace would be assisting.  48 dinghies signed up for this evening’s race, 15 Fast, 19 Medium 6 Slow & 8 Wayfarers.

At the scheduled starting time the wind was registering an average of 10 knots from the SSE and as it was only the first day after the third quarter of the moon, the tidal range was only predicted to be 1.4mtrs, also with high water almost exactly at the start time there would not be too much tide to worry about. The sun was Picture: Peter Wills                                                     shining as well. Does it get any better?

One of the fast fleet boats was on the course side of the line at the start so returned to start correctly. 3 of the Wayfarers were also ‘OCS’ one of them, Marcus Malanaphy failed to return so OCS became the result.

The Wayfarers & Medium fleets were sent to Pylewell inner, Berthon, Black & Orange, then Colten, before heading home, the Fast fleet would also have to take in Walbank then back to Berthon before heading home. The Slow fleet were off on their own, going to East inner, East, back to East inner & home.

The first boat home at 1936 was the slow fleet RS Terra helmed by James Eales, he was followed by Puddy Draycott & Louise Jenner in their Scow then came Robby Boyd, also in a Terra. Next came the first fast fleet boat. It was the 18’ Try of John Levell ‘Mayfly’ well it must have been flying this week as they came home in just 65 minutes. The two Merlin Rockets of Ian Sanderson & Emma Vaughton and Mark Barwell and Louise Johnson were only a minute apart at 1954 & 5 respectively. The first Wayfarer was Clive Taylor & Doug at 1955. Although Miles Mence came in at 1956 in his Blaze it would prove to be good enough to take the Medium fleet handicap win. The last boat came home at 2023, but by that time the wind had dropped to approx 6 knots. Being wise in hindsight the race was thought to be a bit long for the later finishers. But what a lovely evening.

When the handicap results were computed they became:

Fast

1^st John Levell & Steve Homewood                           Try 18

2^nd John Cooper & Becci Wigley                              RS 400

3^rd Ed Reeves                                                         RS 700

Medium

1^st Miles Mence                                                      Blaze

2^nd Ian Sanderson & Emma Vaughton                       Merlin Rocket

3^rd Mark Barwell & Louise Johnson                           Merlin Rocket

Slow

1^st James Eales,                                                      RS Terra

2^nd Puddy Draycott & Louise Jenner                          Scow

3^rd Robby Boyd                                                        RS Terra

Wayfarers

1^st Clive Taylor & Doug                                              Wayfarer

2^nd John Stevens & Oliver Dunne                                Wayfarer

3^rd Tony Christopher & John Sims                               Wayfarer