Bembridge Sailing Club 25th Anniversary Medal Weekend
by Mike Samuelson 23 May 2022 14:44 AEST
21-22 May 2022
If the sun had been a bit warmer, then conditions on Saturday would have qualified as 'champagne', however in the event, 'prosecco' will do nicely! It was therefore very disappointing that only three Redwings and one One-Design headed out to the start area off Britten for their two programmed races.
The first started on time with Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II having to mark time at the Committee Boat end of the line rather than risking an incident with Tara, helmed by Will Toogood.
Start of the first race on Saturday afternoon:
The three Redwings remained on starboard until tacking to make the windward mark mark (Garland) while Mark Grzegorczyk in the sole One-Design tacked off early. Tara rounded first just ahead of Red Gauntlet II with Blue Jay, helmed by Richard Jessel a few boat lengths behind. The run to Derrick saw quite a spread of tracks and although it looked at as if Red Gauntlet II had moved ahead, it was still Tara as they headed back to Garland.
Annoyingly the breeze had veered to the SW so the ensuing beat back to Garland was not the most challenging, however it saw Red Gauntlet II move into the lead and cross the finish line comfortably ahead of Tara with Blue Jay a minute or so later. Meanwhile Mark in One-Design No 9 was not far off the pace but sailing single-handed with normal sails meant he could not keep up so was finished on the way back to Derrick for the second round.
The start of the second race saw Joe try something different with a port tack approach to the Committee Boat end of the line, so as to then start very much as the windward.
Start of the second race on Saturday afternoon:
Tara, helmed again by Will Toogood, was first to round Nainby but only by a boat length in front of Red Gauntlet II. However Joe moved into the lead on the run to Ruthven and held it to the finish (via Hello Sailor, Fitzwilliam and back to Hello Sailor). Although Blue Jay, helmed by Jim Conybeare-Cross was always third, he closed the gap on the last couple of legs. The lone On-Design meanwhile only went as far as Janson on the second leg, but completed the rest of the course to make it two wins!
Conditions on Sunday afternoon were very similar; prosecco rather than champagne but it was nice to see Flycatcher helmed by Johnny Fairfax with Mark Grzegorczyk crewing and Gannet helmed by Jim Conybeare-Cross with Bella Janson crewing making up the fourth entry (Tara was not tracing). Starting four minutes early off Footprint, all four were close to the line with Gannet best placed. Flycatcher was first to head inshore on the beat to Tara, but it was not long before the other three followed them. Blue Jay, helmed by Richard Jessel was first round closely followed by Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II.
On the run back to Footprint Joe managed to overtake and although it looked as if Richard's tactics of staying out on the second beat to Tara might just pay off, it was not to be and by keeping inshore Red Gauntlet II was able to extend her lead. Gannet and Flycatcher meanwhile had a good tussle with the latter getting ahead on the second beat when Jim got caught in a hole off Tyne Hall. With the breeze veering more southerly the final leg from Nainby to Pepe provided a bonus third beat that turned out to be quite challenging and extended the distance between each boat when they finished.
There were no One-Designs. With three wins, the weekend Redwing trophy, the 25thAnniversary Medal, was obviously won by Joe Robertson in Red Gauntlet II.
Next Weekend the Redwings are competing for the Nicholson Trophy; weather permitting Saturday morning's race is round some of the Solent Forts, and Sunday morning's race a single one around the cans.