EAORA Weekend Race Reports 28 - 29 July

by Sarah Watson on 1 Aug 2007 Sun and wind greeted the Association on their annual visit to Harwich for the Walker Challenge Cup.

With 15 – 20kts of breeze on the Beacon Hill start line in Harwich Harbour the race committee set the longer of the two courses (approximately 40 miles) which saw the fleet charge towards Long Sand Head and the open sea (via Medusa and NE Gunfleet) with spinnakers aloft.

Once round Long Sand Head the boats came on to the wind and headed for Trinity buoy. The upwind leg from Trinity to Sunk Head Tower was against an increasing foul tide with the breeze dropping and was particularly tough for the smaller boats. From Sunk Head Tower it was a reach to NE Gunfleet before another testing foul tide beat to Wallet Number 2.

From Wallet Number 2 the fleet passed Medusa and made for the finish line at Beacon Hill, just inside the Harwich breakwater. Following the finish, yachts repaired to Suffolk Yacht Harbour at Levington for a party aboard Carronade and dinner aboard the HPYC Lightship.

When the results were finalised the J122 Jedi Knight had triumphed narrowly over Ker 11.3 Skipjack with Dufour 44 Heartbeat III in third.

A brand new addition to the EAORA calendar was lined up for the Sunday of the Harwich weekend in the form of the Walton & Frinton Race, an offshore race around the cans off Harwich. Once again 15 – 20kts of breeze was the order of the day and the sun was shining once again.

Another spinnaker start saw the fleet heading for the North East Gunfleet before dropping kites and heading up the Wallet towards Number 4 buoy via Number 2. Curiously, despite the varied nature of the course, there was not a single beat anywhere in it but plenty of power reaching on offer.

From Wallet Number 4 the fleet headed to the bay inside the Cork Sands. Passing Medusa to starboard, yachts rounded Cork Ledge buoy before heading to an offshore finish at Stone Banks buoy to enable the visiting yachts to make for Burnham and Mersea in good time.

In the vessel’s last weekend, and after many years of EAORA support, Peter Clement’s Beneteau First 45f5 Carronade was a deserved winner followed by First 29 Harvest Moon. Sigma 38 Spirit took third place.