Medway RC Laser Winter Series 2018-19 - Round 10

Medway RC Laser Winter Series round 10 © MYC

Medway RC Laser Winter Series round 10 © MYC

Despite the forecast of rain, eleven hardy sailors arrived for Round 10 of the Medway RC Laser Winter Series. It was raining, but fortune favoured all and the rain abated allowing a course to be set.

The wind was initially from the W but even before the first race a move to the right meant a delay. In the warm up "B" rigs changed to "C" as the wind increased and eventually for the whole session the "D" rig. Gusty winds again of 15-20 kts provided many tetchy moments.

With the normal triangle/sausage course the line-up for the first start as usual was an intense period. To obtain enough space for a bow down and start with speed meant starting towards the pin end. Those that chose the windward end found the crowding slow. Boats lying patiently in the second row waiting for the start also benefited as the gap opened, allowing a start on the windward side of the course.

Pete Freeman commanded this tactic from Race 1. So a pattern emerged with boats being pinned out to the port lay line and a risky route in to the windward mark. Some ducking and diving and some contact (turns please!) before the boats spread out as the race continued. Early tackers were sometimes lucky with a lift to the windward mark. Pete Freeman took the advantage and lead from the 1st mark. Jamie Blair trying to catch up having adopted the bow down port end start. Richard Stone from the middle of the line squeezed through at the windward mark to follow around in third.

Race 2 saw more mark moving and a turnaround in fortune with Jamie taking the first beat and covering all those behind took the race. Tactics were changed for this and subsequent races with early tacks after the start to gain weather advantage and avoid the ducking and diving amongst the starboard lay line boats. This on occasions led to over standing the windward mark when the wind pattern provided a lift to the mark on starboard.

Covering the opposition was a big lesson today with Race 4 win taken by Pete from second place by a whisker from Jamie who had opted to tack early for the line but unable to cross without a second tack and with the strength of wind the manoeuvre was sometimes slow or not at all!. Race 6 saw a similar situation but the early tack to the finish saw Jamie steal the win from Pete.

With the gusty wind boat control even with the "D" rig saw some nose diving off the wind, places to loose and gain. Mark Penny was leading race 5 but on the last run to the leeward mark Pete Freeman manged to get the inside berth and led to the finish. Roger White seemed to excel in the conditions collecting a string of 3rd and 4th results. Good to see Tony Alexander back in the fray with a 3rd place in Race 3.

The overall lead chopped and changed with Jamie and Pete taking it in turns to lead overall and on equal points before the last race. Pete was called over the line at the start but battled back to third handing the overall for the day to Jamie. Mark and Roger White also stuck close on points with Mark ahead at the end of the penultimate race but a DNF in race 11 gave Roger 3rd overall for the day. 5th and 6th for the day was also close with Jon Moon just ahead of Richard Stone. Positions 7th to 10th were also close.

See you all next Sunday 17th February for Round 11. Details of location and start times on www.rclaser.org.uk/events

Round 10 Results: