RLymYC Ocean Safety Thursday Night Racing Late Series - Day 6

RLymYC Ocean Safety Thursday Night Racing Late Series day 6 © RLymYC

With a light SW wind and a strongly ebbing tide, the RO for the Platform start hoisted the 'Z' flag to keep the racing fleets behind the start line or risk a 20% penalty.

The J80s were then kept away from the rest of the fleets with a windward-leeward set to the west of the river. Fiducial (A Hurst) quickly climbed out of the pack at the start, they then had a very poor kite hoist allowing Jumpin Jack Flash (Ed Carrell) to take the lead. They held onto this until the next downwind leg where Fiducial then regained the lead and extended to the finish winning by over a minute. Tip Top (Olivia Dowling) meanwhile were climbing back through the fleet after an early tangle and powered through in the final metres to take an impressive 3rd place. 1st Fiducial, 2nd Jumpin Jack Flash, 3rd Tip Top.

The IRC 1 fleet took full advantage of the ebb and tacked straight out into the Solent on the beat to the first upwind mark at Dunford. The yachts were closely matched rounding the mark to Starboard, then hoisting spinnakers on Port gybe to stay inshore out of the tide.

With a moveable passing mark set well offshore, the crews had to gybe out to round, then gybe inshore again on the way down to Tanners. Irvine Laidlaw's big Spirit 52 'Oui Fling' made a welcome return to the IRC 1 fleet, and immediately showed her pace with Fidelitas (Mark Broadway) and Boomerang (Ray Crouch) in pursuit. Rounding Tanners and heading offshore for a shorter upwind leg, through the gate and on to Colten, the fleet began to spread.

Jelly Baby (William Newton) and Jin Tonic (Andy Roberts) were fighting to stay in touch, but it was Oui Fling who pulled further ahead with a nearly 9 minute advantage over Fidelitas at the finish with Boomerang crossing in 3rd.

On handicap, Fidelitas 1st, Boomerang 2nd, edging out Oui Fling 3rd by 29 secs.

Full race and series results can be found here.