SB20 Summer Pennant Series in Hobart - Races 4 & 5
by Jane Austin 2 Feb 2020 03:09 PST
Blue Gull (Scott Glanville) and Cook Your Own Dinner (Felicity Allison) were joint winners on performance handicap after a hectic evening on the River Derwent in Races 4 and 5 of the SB20 Summer Pennant Series.
In a series that seems jinxed by the weather gods, the fleet was facing a hefty 30 knot sea breeze an hour before the start of sailing, but fortunately the wind dropped enough to get the fleet under way.
Race Officer Ian Ross, supported by Colleen Darcey, got the sailors away in a 19-knot south-easterly breeze which gusted to well over 20 knots throughout the race.
Honey Badger (Oliver Burnell) went east off the line while everyone else went west giving him a narrow lead when the fleet converged at the top mark. Burnell made the most of the waves and the breeze downwind, soon building a good lead over the rest of the fleet.
Mind Games (Phil Reid) rounded the top mark in second place but a slow kite hoist from Reid put Rebellion (Stephen Catchpool) almost in the back of his boat. There was a tight tussle downwind between Catchpool and Reid but a wine glass from Reid during a gybe allowed Catchpool to get through and round the bottom mark in second place.
Wedgewood (David Graney) and Reid had an animated discussion coming into the gate with Graney slipping inside at the mark. Burnell built his lead to win Race Four of the series from Catchpool then Reid.
The second race was a much tighter affair with a bit less breeze (17 knots) and smoother conditions. Burnell got a nice start at the pin end while Allison was dangerously close to the line. Reid got to the top mark just in front of Burnell and Graney. Catchpool was in fourth place until Contact (Stewart Gordon) tacked close in front of him forcing Catchpool to steer high to avoid a collision which allowed Glanville to slip through as well.
A wine glass from Reid provided a perfect opportunity for Burnell to take the lead, which he held until the finish, giving him his second bullet of the night.
The one design series score after five races is Honey Badger (6 points), Rebellion (15 points) and Wedgewood (18 points). The series score on performance handicap is Mind Games (13 points), Wedgewood (18 points) and Honey Badger (18.5 points). The fleet can discard their worst score after Race Six.