UK Sailmakers Typhoon Series at Hebe Haven Yacht Club - Race 5
by Rob Allen 23 Jul 2018 01:00 PDT
23 July 2018
The sun was out, the sky was blue... but where was the wind on Saturday, the 21st of July 2018, for Race 5 (Mirs Bay Passage Race) of the UK Sailmakers Typhoon Series 2018. There was concern on the committee vessel, where race officer, Bob Vart, was officiating, that it might remain light for the tremendous turnout of 66 boats – the most that anyone could recall.
Having raised the AP postponement flag at 1050, it was a relief when the wind began slowly building from the southeast. By 1115 it had reached five knots and the race management team sprang into action, perhaps slightly prematurely, with some IRC A and B skippers complaining there was insufficient warning. Also, for the first start, the port rounding flag for the Club Mark had not been hoisted. Oh dear, but it was displayed for the second start with the mark at 110 degrees and 0.5 nautical miles distant.
The start for the 12 IRC C boats and seven Sportsboats followed the eight IRC A and six IRC B boats without incident. Not so for the 18 HKPN A and five J-80 boats, when Jelik 6 and Footloose were both OCS and took a long time to return. Interestingly the old Ffree Fire was back racing but, without a valid IRC rating, was competing in HKPN A.
In the final start for the 10 HKPN B boats, Ma Cherie collided with Gecko, and was also OCS but dutifully exonerated itself on both counts.
All fleets were given the same course, passing through a gate before rounding Shek Ngau Chau (formerly Gau Tau) and the Mirs Bay Mark North to port and finishing at Cham Pai Light, where assistant race officer, Inge Strompf, was manning the finish line for IRC A, B, C and HKPN A.
Lighthorse Alpha+ led the fleet through the gate, against the majestic backdrop of Sai Kung Country Park, revelling in the breeze building to 11-12 knots.
The Sportsboats and J-80s had no intention of overnighting at Wong Shek, part of the tradition of this event, and had opted to finish their race at the gate. Merlin finished 3rd, Hot Wired took line honours and 2nd with FAB winning the day. In the J-80s, Jazz took line and handicap honours ahead of May 13 and Jelik 6.
Meanwhile, in IRC A, Lighthorse Alpha+ took line honours at Cham Pai Light and 3rd on handicap, beaten by Ambush in 2nd and Mandrake III 1st. In IRC B, Kiasu! claimed line honours but was only good enough for 2nd on handicap, beaten by Rampage with Juggerknot 3rd. Dexter II led the IRC C fleet home to take the daily double followed by Red Kite II and Andiamo.
Ffree Fire romped home over an hour before the 3rd boat Temujin in HKPN A, which took 1st on handicap with DEA II 2nd and GA 3rd.
Meanwhile the RO had chosen to shorten the course for HKPN B, finishing them at Shek Ngau Chau, where LoTech took line and handicap honours with Bleu 2nd and Little Swallow 3rd.
Once again, it was disappointing that more crews didn't stay on for the prizegiving and BBQ. Those who did, though, got stuck in to the unclaimed liquid prizes of those who didn't show!