Twisted Tube Random Pairs Team Racing at Spinnaker Club
by Tom Clay 13 Oct 2009 09:59 UTC
10 October 2009
Twisted Tube Random Pairs Team Racing at Spinnaker © Tom Clay
Rob and Mel Sherrington won the Twisted Tube random pairs team racing Open Meeting at Spinnaker Club on Sat 10 October. The event, sailed in Fireflies, is two boat team racing with the team with the last boat in the race, losing. There were 11 entries ranging from World Championship Team Racers to those who had never team raced before. Southampton University had three boats competing. Each of the 30 races consisted of two randomly chosen teams and the winner of the event overall was the boat with the lowest number of race losses.
The racing started in a gentle Force 2 from the North but the team racing was hard fought although all competitors made allowance for the lack of experience of beginners. Early leaders were Rob & Mel together with Chris Guy & Jo Mason with Simon Barker and Tim Goodhew from Southampton Uni hard on their heels. The random draw can give some competitors a harder draw than others and Richard Clay & Mags Normand found themselves drawn against Rob & Mel in 4 of their 10 races giving them 4 of their 5 losses.
At the end of an enjoyable day’s racing the clear winners were Rob & Mel Sherrington who had only lost one race all day. Their opponents in that race, Chris Guy and Jo Mason came second with three losses but only beat Simon Barker and Tim Goodhew also with 3 losses by 0.02 of a point on a countback of race points.
Results
1. Rob and Mel Sherrington 9 wins 1 loss
2. Chris Guy and Jo Mason 7 wins 3 losses
3. Simon Barker & Tim Goodhew 7 wins 3 losses