Race 5 of the Brass Monkey at Pwllheli

by Jim Connolly on 18 Feb 2008 Liverpool Yacht Club’s fifth race in the Renard-Systems.co.uk Brass Monkey series was held at Pwllheli on Sunday 10 February in sixty degrees of sunshine.

Eleven LYC and one PSC yachts took to the water. Rod Darling skipper of Lezayre chose not to race and decided to cruise in the pleasant conditions over towards St Tudwal Island accompanied by past Commodore John D'Henin.

The rest of the fleet took part in Brass Monkey 3. The wind was light but after 40 minutes delay, the wind picked up from the west to about 9 knots and Commodore Derek Sparks was able to set a course. There were five Class 1 and six Class 2 yachts, all sailing the same course. As any yachtsman will tell you, it's much more difficult to race in light airs, and so it proved.

The start was tremendous and a blanket could have covered all the yachts at the gun. Mighty Max was fast out of the traps and soon established a commanding lead which she never relinquished. Remarkably the young family crew of Jenevieve, strengthened this week by Dave Butterfield and, by first time out at Pwllheli yachtsman, Andy Freeney, consolidated a fine start and held second place to the end. Dinamite Tee, Molissa, and Another Nods followed and in spite of trying every move in their locker couldn't make much impression on the leaders.

Once again Class 2 was dominated by the cut and thrust rivalry which has been a feature of this winter's racing between Musketeer and Quattro. The day was Mike Inman's, just holding off Steve Harrison's Quattro by about 20 metres at the finish. John Roberts' Poppy was close up third followed by Paul Hampson's Magic Moments. The Annie Ward/Andy Napper yacht Di-Rich retired as did Dave Hughes' Legless, This was Dave's first race of the Winter having been otherwise occupied in sailing the Arc race, but not Legless.