Please select your home edition
Edition
Leaderboard FD July August September 2023

Bournemouth Digital Poole Week 2021 - Day 1

by David Harding 23 Aug 2021 20:28 AEST 23-27 August 2021

Having been forced to take a year out in 2020, competitors in Bournemouth Digital Poole Week were more than ready to get back afloat this year.

Further encouragement was provided by conditions for the first day of racing that might have been specially designed to tempt anyone on to the water. As the time for the first start approached just after lunch on Sunday, the clouds cleared and the breeze held up at an average of around 8-10 knots although, being from the north-west, it was far from consistent in either direction or strength.

This inevitably presented challenges for the competitors, especially during the second race for most of the fleets when the tide started ebbing and the wind became more patchy, with prolonged lulls and bigger swings in direction. While the front-runners occasionally found themselves sailing into a hole or on the wrong side of a shift, they mostly managed to work their way back into the running and the results after two races showed few surprises.

As is normal in Poole Week, the fleets were split between two courses. Sailing from the committee boat start line in the harbour's top triangle were the Flying Fifteens, RS200s and the ILCA 7s and 6s (Laser full-rigs and Radials as they used to be known). Further down the harbour, using Parkstone Yacht Club's starting platform, were the Wayfarers, Darts, XODs, Dolphins and the fast and slow handicap fleets.

In the Flying Fifteens, Crispin Read Wilson, sailing with Steve Brown, ended the day tied on points with Pete and Jo Allam, each having a first and a second. Jackie Dobson and Dave Mitchell ran away with the first race in the Wayfarers but fared less well in the second. Changes to the course in the run-up to the start caused some confusion among the fleet and team Dobson and Mitchell ended up sailing the wrong one and having to retire.

Strong leaders at the end of the day emerged in the Dolphins, Darts, ILCA 6s, slow handicap and XODs, all of which had double race-winners. As is so often the case, the closest racing was in the slower fleets. In the first race for the XODs, David Laws in Kyperini won by a whisker from Willie McNeill and then managed to put Tim Martin in Corisande between them in the second race to create a three-point buffer.

Sometimes, however, a lead of a few boat-lengths turned into several hundred yards in the space of a few minutes if one boat managed to sneak around the windward mark while another was stopped dead by the wash of the Sunday-afternoon powerboats charging back up the harbour. Such are the vagaries of racing in Poole on an August weekend, but the coming week should see less traffic and the weather experts promise good breezes and plenty of sunshine. There's much to look forward to over the coming five days of racing.

Provisional results on www.pooleweek.org and more photos on www.SailingScenes.com

Related Articles

Hamilton Island Race Week Accommodation Deals
Our most popular race week properties available now at reduced rates Hamilton Island Race Week is fast approaching and if you're quick, we have some prime race week viewing spots available where you can watch some of the world's best racing yachts sail by and be close to all the celebrations. Posted on 6 Jun
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 4
Bergmann with Wille keep their nerve to move into FX lead Olympic veterans in the 49erFX Marla Bergmann with Hanna Wille (GER) kept their nerve and used their speed to move into the lead, scoring the fewest points on day 4. Posted on 6 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 4
Hutchinson adding the missing element as American Magic Quantum Racing close in on title Now holding a 13-points lead after today's two races contested at the Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup, American Magic Quantum Racing crew are on the cusp of completing their first 52 SUPER SERIES regatta win since victory in Barcelona in September 2022. Posted on 6 Jun
Rooster Sailing's 2025 Collection Just Dropped
From the redesigned Technical Shorts to the all-new SB2 Deck Trainers From the redesigned Technical Shorts to the all-new SB2 Deck Trainers, the 2025 collection has been developed with real sailors, for real conditions. Posted on 6 Jun
Expanding horizons with West System Epoxy
Working on D-Class boats over the years sparked Jonathan Minnebo's love of sailing Returning to his roots, Jonathan Minnebo has broadened his sights from solely shipwright work to creating bespoke furniture and staircase design and installation. Posted on 6 Jun
2025 Santa Maria Cup in Annapolis, USA Day 2
Final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage A thrilling second day of racing at the 2025 Santa Maria Cup saw the final four skippers emerge from a competitive qualifying double-round robin stage. Posted on 6 Jun
SailGP to Kick Off Summer in New York
With this Weekend's Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix An unforgettable weekend of high-speed, close-to-shore racing and world-class entertainment will take place this weekend when the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix takes place in front of the most famous skyline in the world. Posted on 5 Jun
Scandinavian Gold Cup at Sopot, Poland Day 1
A slow start with very little wind The Scandinavian Gold Cup opened Thursday in Sopot, Poland, with seven 5.5 Metres competing for this historic and iconic trophy that dates back to 1922. Unfortunately, there was not enough wind to even complete one race. Posted on 5 Jun
49er, 49erFX and Nacra 17 Europeans Day 3
A six-hour bake on the water Veteran and multi-Olympic race officer Sulis was clear at the morning briefing, "Our priority is to get three races for the 49er so they can progress to the gold fleet." Posted on 5 Jun
Galicia 52 Super Series Royal Cup Day 3
Platoon Aviation turn up the heat but don't dent American Magic Quantum Racing's lead After a disappointing first regatta of the season when they finished in an uncharacteristic last position in Saint-Tropez, the fortunes of the German flagged 2023 52 SUPER SERIES overall champions Platoon Aviation seem to have turned for the better. Posted on 5 Jun
Maritimo 2023 S600 FOOTERX-Yachts X4.3Selden 2020 - FOOTER