Lymington River Scow Travellers' Series Round at Keyhaven Yacht Club

Lymington River Scow Travellers at Keyhaven © Karl Thorne

Lymington River Scow Travellers at Keyhaven © Karl Thorne

Lymington River Scow Travellers at Keyhaven © Karl Thorne

Last Sunday saw the first event in the Lymington River Scow Travellers' Series hosted by Keyhaven Yacht Club. The Travellers series is a new concept for this season and provides a small open circuit between Keyhaven, Lymington and Beaulieu, it is open to all John Claridge built Lymington River Scows and is intended to promote contact between the fleets.

A total of eleven boats entered, including three each from both Beaulieu and Lymington, a modest but promising start.

Keyhaven flipped the switch and turned on it's very best for the visitors, a hole in the sky through which the sun streamed brightly, a south-westerly breeze gusting over 20 knots, and near flat conditions with a slackening tide. Two races were scheduled: the first a triangular course laid inside Hurst Spit to be shared with the Club's regular Sunday racing fleet, and the second a trip up the Keyhaven River to the Club finishing line.

The first start was a little timid, but it was soon obvious that Eric Williams (Lymington), sailing single-handed with the strongest start was not going to be beaten. Eric extended his lead around the three laps of the course to win by a comfortable margin from local sailors Angus Raby and Penny Dent, with another local James Young in third.

The race was not without mishap, the Class Chairman executing a water temperature test and then calling it a day based on his findings; he had clearly exceeded his own complicated formula which is a function of wind strength and age that dictates whether he should race or not. From experience you can capsize these sturdy little boats when you are trying too hard and I'm sure that must have been the case in this instance!

The second start was much more hotly contested, with a couple of individual recalls, that's more like it! Once again Eric had a great start and lead the fleet home on the initially long beat into the Keyhaven River entrance, round the corner and onto the screaming reach into the harbour trying to weave his way on the outside of the channel markers that don't necessarily follow a logical line to the naked eye. The leg inside the harbour was perfect with a cleaner stronger breeze in very flat water, offering the Scows chance to get close to breaking the River speed limit. The finishing order was exactly the same as the first race, but a little closer between the leading boats this time.

A big thank you to the visitors for supporting the event, who were rewarded with discovering the magic of Keyhaven in a blow, and of course to the patrol boat and race management teams.

The series moves onto the Beaulieu River Sailing Club on the 25th June (11.30 start), just turn up and enter on the day. It's pretty informal and good fun, and road trailers can often be borrowed if that is what is stopping you travelling.

Overall Results: