Burnham Sailing Club Wednesday Summer Series 2
by Sally Harbott 13 Aug 2020 21:42 PDT
12 August 2020
The westerly breeze meant a down river windward start for the Burnham Sailing Club fleets yesterday. Class 1, 707s and Elites filled the line for the first start.
On the gun, Red Rooster helmed by Phil Aspinall were first to cross, closely followed by Grace and Danger and Richard Moore's Ophelia who all started on the North Shore on the town side. Jeannie, Toucan, Ron Woolhead, and Eclipse, the Maxi 1000 owned by Daryl Mylroie were next to start on the south shore.
The fleet beat down river to Branklet before doing Wallaseaness Redward twice. The foul tide beat paid on the North Shore with good lifts on that side in the shifty conditions. Paul Trueman in Exile led on the beat, with Digger Harden in Jackal keeping up. Toucan had a great leg on the beat, keeping up at the front. The wind continued to be unpredictable and when the boats ran home, Grace and Danger the SJ27 owned by Stephen Gosling and Andrew Courts and Eclipse had taken the South Shore and as the wind flicked more Northerly really benefitted from not being under the town.
Exile had led up the river but lost her wind and the last part took an eternity to finish, but she picked up a breeze line and sailed it towards the Club side from mid river to take line honours. The Elite, 107 had taken first in the Elite class, with Dangerous Moonlight some way behind. The 707 came in in between Exile and 107.
Grace and Danger and Eclipse held their breeze on the South Shore and came in next. On the North shore under the town, John Saunders in Jeannie and Toucan were having a great battle, the Elan with spinnaker getting the better of the white sailed Beneteau. Jackal retired on the long foul tide run home being non spinnaker during this short-handed racing. Ophelia ran home last on the water.
Overall, Grace and Danger won by 4 minutes from Exile. Eclipse were third, Jeannie fourth, Toucan fifth then Ophelia 46 seconds behind in sixth. Exile leads the series with Eclipse second and Grace and Danger third.
The second class to start had 2 RBODS, Red Jacket and Phalarope, Traigh the UFO 31 and 2 squibs. Red Jacket led and won the RBODS and Phalarope retired. Traigh sailing no spinnaker took a while to run home over a building foul tide but finished the race.
The River Dinghy fleet had 16 starters. They too went down river and at the start 5 were OCS, 2 returned to start having cleared the line. 825, 836 and 607 were all disqualified for not returning after the double hoot. As the wind died on the fleets penultimate leg before the last leg up to home, Trinity shortened them down river and the fleet were towed back. Dylan Collingbourne took line honours in his RS600 with Blaze 818 second on the water. On corrected time, the Blaze 818 won.
Club fleet dinghies sailed a what is locally known as 'Round the Houses' course, round the Fairway buoys. The lasers all sailed well and finished first to fourth on the water, with the Aero last on the water. Laser 212109 led and won on corrected time with 192783 second, 44 third, 165230 was fourth and the Aero was 5th.