Plymouth Gin Series at Royal Plymouth Corinthian Yacht Club - Week 4
by Chris Hampe 27 Apr 2015 15:50 PDT
26 April 2015
If ever a day didn't live up to the expectations of the weather forecast than the last day of the Plymouth Gin Series was that day. The forecast promised 14 to 20 knots from the north east and that the early morning cloud cover would clear to bright warm spring sunshine. Even the unusually large number of shipping movements within Plymouth Sound wouldn't get in the way as the committee boat headed out towards Queens Ground looking to set a course keeping to the west of the main shipping lanes.
Unfortunately the wind had other ideas and with a light north westerly there was no way to set a course inside the Sound that would avoid the shipping movements so with some reluctance the committee boat headed south of the breakwater. A course was set with the windward mark close to the western end of the breakwater with the expectation that the wind would eventually veer to the northeast. As the competitors gradually arrived at the startline the wind headed 20 degrees to the west. This unexpected shift caused a delay as the new windward leg would have to be laid across the main shipping channel.
It was some 48 minutes after the scheduled start time that the fleet got away from the line and as the wind got lighter by the minute the skies darkened. Soon the fleet was struggling to make any progress with Alan Meredith's Prima 38 Al Fresco being closely chased by Dainel Flanigan's Farr 36 Sunburst. These two boats led the fleet downwind but it looked like the race was heading to hit the time limit before the wind finally went to the north east.
The wind however had still not settled and the next bunch of boats led by Robert Fletchers First 34.7 Say Ding Dong had to contend with beating to the line as a south easterly filled in. Well placed at the back of this group was the Seascape 18 of Jon Pegg who would win under NHC whilst the Prima 38 Al Fresco won to continue their dominance under IRC and finally the J24 of Steve Wassell won under ORC.
Overall Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Boat Name | Boat Type | Owner | Club | Hcap | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Pts |
|---|
| Class: NHC Yachts |
|---|
| 1 | 7938 | Al Fresco | PRIMA 38 | Alan Meredith | RYA | varies | 1 | ‑7 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 17 |
| 2 | 7207 | Dogs Jorrocks | J 24 OD | Steve Wassell | TMSC | varies | 2 | ‑4 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 19 |
| 3 | 230 | Slipknot | Open 5.7 | Daryl Conyers | RWYC | varies | 7.5 | ‑9 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 28.5 |
| 4 | 62 | Seascape | Seascape 18 | Jon Pegg | Yealm YC | varies | ‑10 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 31 |
| 5 | 6702 | I Say Ding Dong | FIRST 34.7 | Robert Fletcher | RWYC | varies | 7.5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 8 | ‑10 | 31.5 |
| 6 | 3531 | Carnage | SB20 OD | Peter Kent | RYA | varies | ‑9 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 41 |
| 7 | 130 | Waterjet | J 70 OD | Steve Northmore | RYA | varies | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 47 |
| 8 | 7525 | Slipstream | CORBY 25 | Sean Koehler | PYC | varies | 5 | 6 | 10 | 7 | (DNC) | DNC | 4 | 49 |
| 9 | 23 | Sanuk | Seascape 27 | John McLaren | Salcombe YC | varies | 4 | 10 | 6 | 12 | 8 | (OCS) | 9 | 49 |
| 10 | 121 | Marks & ... | Seascape 18 | Hugh Spencer | RPCYC | varies | ‑13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 50 |
| 11 | 82 | Seascape Distribution UK | Seascape 18 | Peter Wanstall | RWYC | varies | 12 | ‑13 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 1 | 11 | 53 |
| 12 | 50523 | Sunburst | FARR 36M | Daniel Flanagan | RWYC | varies | (DNC) | DNC | 11 | 6 | DNC | DNC | 2 | 70 |
| 13 | 146 | Red Dog | J 70 OD | Steve Andrew | RWYC | varies | 3 | 1 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 72 |
| 14 | 245 | Ullman Sails | Seascape 18 | Matt Valentino‑Owen | SSC | varies | 11 | 11 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 90 |
| 15 | 1771 | | X 99 | | | varies | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 10 | DNF | DNC | 95 |
| 16 | 263 | SS18 | Seascape 18 | Paul Hutchings | RPCYC | varies | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 12 | 97 |
| Class: IRC |
|---|
| 1 | 7938 | Al Fresco | PRIMA 38 | Alan Meredith | RYA | 18 | 1 | ‑2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 2 | 7207 | Dogs Jorrocks | J 24 OD | Steve Wassell | TMSC | 0.887 | 2 | ‑3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
| 3 | 6702 | I Say Ding Dong | FIRST 34.7 | Robert Fletcher | RWYC | 0.993 | 4 | ‑6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 22 |
| 4 | 7525 | Slipstream | CORBY 25 | Sean Koehler | PYC | 0.936 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | (DNC) | DNC | 4 | 31 |
| 5 | 130 | Waterjet | J 70 OD | Steve Northmore | RYA | 0.969 | 6.5 | 5 | 3 | 4 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 36.5 |
| 6 | 23 | Sanuk | Seascape 27 | John McLaren | Salcombe YC | 139 | 6.5 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 4 | (OCS) | 6 | 37.5 |
| 7 | 50523 | Sunburst | FARR 36M | Daniel Flanagan | RWYC | 168 | (DNC) | DNC | 6 | 5 | DNC | DNC | 2 | 40 |
| 8 | 146 | Red Dog | J 70 OD | Steve Andrew | RWYC | 0.969 | 5 | 1 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 42 |
| Class: ORC |
|---|
| 1 | 7938 | Al Fresco | PRIMA 38 | Alan Meredith | RYA | varies | 1.5 | ‑4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8.5 |
| 2 | 7207 | Dogs Jorrocks | J 24 OD | Steve Wassell | TMSC | varies | 1.5 | 3 | ‑4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12.5 |
| 3 | 230 | Slipknot | Open 5.7 | Daryl Conyers | RWYC | varies | 5 | ‑8.5 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 24 |
| 4 | 62 | Seascape | Seascape 18 | Jon Pegg | Yealm YC | varies | ‑9 | 8.5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 33.5 |
| 5 | 6702 | I Say Ding Dong | FIRST 34.7 | Robert Fletcher | RWYC | varies | ‑8 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 35 |
| 6 | 3531 | Carnage | SB20 OD | Peter Kent | RYA | varies | ‑10 | 6 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 43 |
| 7 | 130 | Waterjet | J 70 OD | Steve Northmore | RYA | varies | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | 45 |
| 8 | 7525 | Slipstream | CORBY 25 | Sean Koehler | PYC | varies | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | (DNC) | DNC | 6 | 51 |
| 9 | 23 | Sanuk | Seascape 27 | John McLaren | Salcombe YC | varies | 4 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 8 | (OCS) | 10 | 52 |
| 10 | 121 | Marks & ... | Seascape 18 | Hugh Spencer | RPCYC | varies | ‑13 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 55 |
| 11 | 82 | Seascape Distribution UK | Seascape 18 | Peter Wanstall | RWYC | varies | 12 | ‑13 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 11 | 58 |
| 12 | 146 | Red Dog | J 70 OD | Steve Andrew | RWYC | varies | 3 | 1 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 72 |
| 13 | 50523 | Sunburst | FARR 36M | Daniel Flanagan | RWYC | varies | (DNC) | DNC | 11 | 8 | DNC | DNC | 4 | 74 |
| 14 | 245 | Ullman Sails | Seascape 18 | Matt Valentino‑Owen | SSC | 0.6171 | 11 | 11 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 90 |
| 15 | 1771 | | X 99 | | | 0.9683 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | 10 | DNF | DNC | 95 |
| 16 | 263 | SS18 | Seascape 18 | Paul Hutchings | RPCYC | 0.6171 | (DNC) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 12 | 97 |