Crouch Yacht Club Centaur Trophy
by Phillip Harbott 18 May 2016 06:17 AEST
15 May 2016
Sunday saw the second race in the eight race Victory Cup series from the Crouch Yacht Club. Three boats started in fickle winds, going down river with the ebb tide to Greenward before going up the Roach to Jubilee, and then back across the river to Redward. The strong tide meant that all helms kept well above the line to make sure that they weren't OCS. Paul Trueman in his X37 Exile got the best start with Double Trouble and Mantra a way further up river.
The white sail leg was closely fought with Phillip Harbott in the Aphrodite 101 sailing under
Duncan Haley's Corby 29. However, as they progressed down to Greenward, Paul Trueman
in Exile and Double Trouble got away from Mantra. After rounding Greenward, Phillip took
a different line to follow the breeze and caught the two leaders near Jubilee. However, they
got away again on the tidal gate rounding of Jubilee. When the boats rounded the corner by
the RCYC Exile was ahead with her spinnaker up in a good breeze, followed by Double
Trouble with her AP up. However, off the Royal Burnham the wind dropped and went
forward and they both went white sail, with Double Trouble tucked much more out of the
tide. The two boats crept up river waiting for the breeze to come down the river to them. In
the meantime, Mantra came quickly up river in a good breeze with her asymmetric up.
However, she followed the breeze into the middle of the river and when she too found the
hole had to go bare headed to get the jib up.
The breeze filled in and the boats finished strongly, but not before Duncan had had another
spinnaker hoist and drop off Priors.
On corrected time, Double Trouble won by five minute from Mantra, with Exile just 16
seconds behind in third.