Lymington Town Sailing Club Hunt Cup
by Rob Martin 30 Dec 2015 07:28 AEDT
27 December 2015
LTSC Hunt Cup Competitors await their sailing instructions © Dave Gorringe
LTSC held its annual Hunt Cup on Sunday 27th December. This event is a mix of fancy dress and an informal race. Prizes are awarded at the race committee's discretion but being both in character and finishing the race are important! This was not such an easy task this year. With winds gusting 30 knots in the Western Solent a short course was set in the river where competitors had to battle both winds gusting to 25 knots and the IOW ferry.
The race is started from in the club room to enable the race committee to judge the costumes on display. With their boats rigged and ready in the compound, the competitors are then released and launch straight into the race.
The course was a reach out to the wave barriers then a number of triangles depending on their handicap and then back to the club line.
First to finish was the RS Feva of Dave Ellis. Having sailed the shortest course they were so far ahead that they went back out to join the medium handicap boats, an action definitely worthy of a prize.
Fast handicap was represented by the RS400s of Becky Wigley and John Cooper and Mike and June Baker. Mike and June looked to have the upper hand until late into the 3rd lap when their boat broke. They were the best dressed fleet with a pac man ghost and a giraffe just pipping Becky and John's two father Christmases.
Runner up prize went to Emma and Luke McEwen. Two green dinosaurs in an immaculately sailed scow with a pink mainsail takes some beating.
The winners of the Hunt cup were Adrian and Charlotte Bateman, who as Darth Vader and Princess Leia complete with light sabre and stylised hair sailed their Wayfarer around the course. They said the costumes only went through the blocks occasionally.
Sailing gets back to normal at LTSC on Sunday 3rd January with the LTSC Perisher series. This is an open series of eight Sunday morning races from the LTSC River Line. Competitors from visiting Clubs are welcome and entry details are available on the Club website or by contacting the sailing office on 01590 674514.