Lymington Town Sailing Club Early Points Series - Day 2
by Nigel Walbank 8 Mar 2016 04:38 PST
6 March 2016
Light conditions
A chilly northerly wind of 10 knots greeted 35 competitors for the second of the LTSC Early Points series. As they set out to the start line outside the Lymington river entrance, the race team were busy out in the Western Solent relaying the course and then the start line, as the wind started to back to the west and also fade as the 10.30 start time approached. Racing commenced after a fifteen minute postponement with the wind being very fitful and shifty under each passing cloud.
In the end both classes were able to complete three laps of the triangular course. The patchy nature of the wind caused some bunching at the rounding marks and at times some boats were seen to be being swept backwards by the tide. At this stage some competitors decided they had had enough of Snakes and Ladders and retired back up the river to the clubhouse. On the last lap however the wind filled in a little, and was now in the south west, this brought the slower boats home very quickly so that everyone finished in a twelve minute slot.
In the fast fleet the Luke and Emma McEwan's RS800 took line honours from the International 14 of Pete Conway and Tig Williams. On handicap it was the D-One of Giles Chipperfield and the RS400s of Rob and Jan Martin and Jane and Steve Homewood who took the first three places.
In the medium fleet Keith Willis' mini keel boat, the K1, that prevailed from the Aero 7s of Nick Eales and Adrian Bateman although all three were trounced by the slow handicap entry of Evie Snedker and David Ellis, in an RS Feva XL, who had completed the same course.