Bembridge Sailing Club Weekend Racing
by Mike Samuelson 3 Aug 2020 15:33 AEST
1-2 August 2020
Saturday was originally programmed for the Bembridge Village Regatta, however with the linked 'Harbour Family Fun Weekend' becoming a Covid-19 cancellation, it was decided that running the planned Regatta (with BHYC looking after the dinghy racing) was a step too far despite recent relaxations in what is allowable afloat. However as the Cups were in the Trophy Cabinet, it was agreed by Class Captains that the first race on Saturday would be for Village Regatta cups.
After last weekend's racing was cancelled on both days because of the strong winds, it was therefore great to get two excellent races for each fleet completed on Saturday morning. Although it was an earlier start than normal because the majority of the Redwings and One-Designs are sailing from the harbour this summer, it was encouraging to see eight Redwings and six One-Designs in the starting area off Garland.
The first Redwing race got off to a clean start in the SW'erly F4 breeze.
Start of the 1st Redwing race (Saturday)
After a short beat to Pepe, Ed Nainby-Luxmoore in Snowgoose, led the way to Ruthven via an inflatable just to the SE of Garland. On the long beat back to the finish at Garland, Colin Samuelson in Toucan took up the challenge and finished almost thirty seconds ahead of Snowgoose to win the Coronation Cup. David McCue in Musicus was fourth, a minute later.
The second race got off to an even better start.
Start of the 2nd Redwing race (Saturday)
Toucan rounded Pepe first and although Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II was never that far behind, Colin, with his wife Becky crewing as normal, was clearly in his element and never looked like finishing at Pepe in anything other than first place, Red Gauntlet II was second and Musicus was third. Mike Toogood in Tara and Ed Nainby-Luxmoore in Snowgoose were next to finish and had less than a second separating them.
The One-Designs had the same course and had some very close racing. Indeed in the first race, the first four boats all finished with a few seconds of each other. First across the line (and therefore the winner of the Jubilee Cup) was No 8 helmed by Jos Coad; second was Mark Gregorczyk in No 9; third Susie Beart in No 5 and Sarah Marshall was fourth in No 7.
After a good start, the second race was not quite as close, Mark Grz got his own back and finished three quarters of a minute ahead of of No 8, helmed by this time by Charles Perry. Susie Beart was third, again, with Jeremy Hine, helming No 10 in fourth.
Start of the 2nd BOD race (Saturday)
Five Scows started after the One-Designs. Set a windward-leeward course between Garland and Pepe, it was not long before Oliver and Francesca Morgan established a healthy lead ahead of Penny Stanley and Jessica Speare-Cole. Francesca was ahead at the end of the first round but by the end of the second beat, Oliver was in front and held onto it to the finish. Penny and Jessica had a very close race with the former winning by a couple of inches. The Morgan's had a second race which Oliver won.
Sunday's forecast looked similar to the previous day (SW F4), however initially there was a bit more north in it and more like a F2. Setting the course was not made easy when it was found that BHYC's race (that was starting half an hour earlier) had included Pepe to starboard in their course.
With a line off Spyalarms (ex-Under Tyne) and a simple windward/leeward course using Garland and Tara, the ten Redwings made a clean start despite the fickle conditions. Plover and Tara made successful port tack flyers with Toucan almost cutting them off near the pin. It was not long before Toucan became the front runner ahead of Red Gauntlet II and Tara, but as the race developed, and there had been a course change after the breeze went more SW'erly, it was Rory Morrison in No 42, Skua, who edged into second with Snowgoose in third and Red Gauntlet II finishing in fourth.
With the line re-set, an inflatable windward mark laid inshore inshore and the breeze picking up, the start of the second race was looking good until too many pushed their luck and a General Recall was called.
First start of the 2nd Redwing race (Sunday)
With Flag U in play, the restart was much better 'behaved'. Tara, Toucan and Harlequin were the first to round the windward mark, but as the race developed it was Toucan and Skua who were vying for pole position. With BHYC's racing completed, the opportunity was taken to change the course to finish at Pepe. It was a perfect beat and the result could have gone either way, but with Skua three up and the breeze around 16 knots they crossed the line eleven seconds ahead of Toucan. Harlequin was third and Tara was fourth. With three firsts and a second over the weekend, Colin Samuelson in Toucan won the Curlew Cup.
The two One-Design races were for the Margetson Trophy (family pairs). Not that it mattered but as it turned out, only two of the seven boats actually had 'family pairs' on board. In the first race, Penny Stanley in No 9 took line honours ahead of Sarah Marshall in No 7; third, seconds later was Hugh Doherty in No 10 and fourth, also only seconds later was Susie Beart in No 5.
The second race saw Rosanna Beart in No 5 come in first after a close race with the fleet splitting tacks on both beats. Penny Stanley in No 9 was second, and Oli Laughton-Scott helming No 10 was third. With the only other family pair, D and Mike Orange in No 12, picking up two fifth places, the Margetson Trophy was won by Susie and Rosanna Beart.
Start of the 2nd One-Design race (Sunday)
Although daily racing starts on Monday, the next report will be at the end of next weekend.