Christmas Cracker Pursuit Race 2022 at Paignton Sailing Club

In the days leading up to the 2022 edition of the Christmas Cracker pursuit race, part of the Sailing Southwest Winter Series, the forecast was looking a bit scary. It was certainly enough to put off 12 of the 33 pre-registered teams, leaving 21 competitors to enjoy the waters of Torbay on what proved to be a cracking November day, with just one brief shower to spoil the sunshine, flat sea and 15 to 20 knot westerly wind.

The first boat away was local lad Ashton Shears in his Laser 4.7 followed four minutes later by a Firefly and then three Laser Radials after a further 3 minutes. A minute behind the Radials, three RS Aero 5s started with Mark Ripley taking the lead within 2 laps, a lead that he was to hang onto until the dying moments of the race.

Four minutes elapsed before the OK started and then four further RS Aeros, with the bigger 7 rig and two Blaze Fires started 8 minutes after the Aero 5s with Peter Barton quickly pulling away from the others to begin chasing Mark, a battle he eventually won, but not without a fight.

Next to start was the Blaze and Hadron H2 and then the spinnaker-flying boats, two Fireballs, an RS400 and finally, 31 minutes and a lap down on the Laser 4.7, the Osprey of Terry Curtis and Peter Greig who quickly showed their colours gaining places every lap before finally taking the lead towards the end of the sixth and final lap of the race.

A Blaze using the 'Fire' sail at the Paignton SC Christmas Cracker - photo © Andy Probert

Overall Results:

Paignton SC Christmas Cracker - photo © Andy Probert