Please select your home edition
Edition
PredictWind - Routing 728x90 TOP

Bournemouth Digital Poole Week 2023 – Day 1

by David Harding 20 Aug 2023 21:49 PDT 20-25 August 2023

A great day to explore Poole Harbour

After the summer we've been having - if it really has been 'summer' - it came as a huge relief that the forecast for Bournemouth Digital Poole Week 2023 held the promise of some slightly less wet and windy weather. And the fact that the Met Office didn't get it quite right for the first day was forgiven. It was warm, dry, mostly bright - even sunny at times - and breezier than forecast.

Fickle and shifty northerlies have dominated Poole Week for the past two years, so it also made a welcome change to see the wind back in the south west. This allowed good long beats to be set from the Parkstone Platform for the fleets starting at the eastern end of the harbour. Because south westerlies are often steadier than some directions, it also made life less frustrating for the race team on Parkstone Yacht Club's brand-new committee boat in the harbour's Top Triangle. The new catamaran from Cheetah Marine only made the delivery trip from the Isle of Wight to Poole on Thursday and was pressed straight into action.

Another feature of south westerlies is that, even when they're forecast to be light or moderate, the sea-breeze effect on a warm summer's day can give the gradient breeze a significant boost. Monday saw a mean speed of 14-15 knots and gusts of up to 20, keeping everyone on their toes, catching a few unawares and giving some good planing reaches.

Even with relatively straightforward sailing conditions, plenty of challenges can crop up. Several Wayfarers didn't spot the change of course for the second race. Sean Murray had won the first race from Ian Sargeant, who sneaked in just ahead of Jackie Dobson and Dave Mitchell on the line. Murray and Dobson/Mitchell were among those who set off on a repeat of the first course, only to realise when it was too late that the rest of the fleet was going a different way. Sargeant recorded another 2nd to lead overall at the end of the first day from David and Sally Wall.

Among the other fleets starting from the Parkstone Platform, the XODs were led around in both races by John Tremlett, a visitor from Itchenor with an impressive track record including multiple wins in Cowes Week. Another visitor, Eric Williams from Lymington - no stranger to Poole Week - scored 4, 2 to lie second.

The handicap fleets were sailing from the platform too, featuring boats ranging from Fusions and ILCA 4s to several Merlin Rockets, an MRX, a couple of Contenders and an RS300. Contenders don't always find the downwind legs easy when up against two-handers with spinnakers, but David Evans showed just what a Contender can do on a screaming reach when the wind is at the right angle, putting some good distance between him and the pursuing fleet to win the first race from Steve and Ally Tyler in their Merlin Rocket. The order was reversed in the second race, both boats ending the day on three points.

In the Top Triangle, the Flying Fifteens, RS200s and ILCA 6s and 7s sailed their normal triangle/sausage or windward/leeward courses for the first race before setting off on a 'harbour tour' for the second. This took them down the harbour, past Brownsea Castle, up South Deep and around Brownsea, Furzey and Green Islands to the upper Wych before heading back down towards Parkstone, taking full advantage of the channels and islands that Poole Harbour has to offer.

All told, it was a day that gave few people cause for complaint. As one of the Flying Fifteens put it, despite having encountered problems with a new spinnaker pole system, 'It was a nice breeze and a nice day out on the water'.

Provisional results on www.pooleweek.org

Photos on www.SailingScenes.com

Related Articles

Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup Day 8
Super Finals Saturday sees Daida Moreno produce buzzer beater The penultimate day of the 2025 Gran Canaria Gloria Windsurf World Cup saw final results gained in three categories; Women's, U21 Boy's and U18 Boy's and all three divisions required Super Finals to determine the eventual winners. Posted on 12 Jul
International Moth Worlds at Lake Garda Day 5
A day to remember on Lake Garda with waves and strong gusts A day to remember on Lake Garda for the fifth and penultimate day of the 2025 Moth World Championship, hosted by Fraglia Vela Malcesine from 6 to 13 July. Posted on 12 Jul
Jazz Turner Makes History in Project FEAR
Jazz credits Allen for providing cutting-edge sheeting systems, as well as expert advice Project FEAR, an extraordinary solo sailing voyage by Jazz Turner, has concluded successfully: she became the first disabled person – and specifically the first wheelchair user – to sail non-stop and unassisted around the UK and Ireland. Posted on 12 Jul
18th Puig Vela Clàssica Barcelona overall
Some of the most celebrated gems of classic yachting in the waters off Barcelona The sails have now been lowered on the 18th edition of the Puig Vela Clàssica, which this week brought together some of the most celebrated gems of classic yachting in the waters off Barcelona. Posted on 12 Jul
Dylan Fletcher previews Portsmouth
Fletcher says SailGP's Portsmouth debut offers the team the chance to 'right the wrongs'. With just a week to go until SailGP's return to Great Britain, we sit down with Emirates GBR driver Dylan Fletcher to discuss the opportunities and pressures of a home event. Posted on 12 Jul
Australian sailors take to Olympic waters
Regatta serves as an important test, not just for sailors, but also for organisers The Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta is set to get begin, marking the first major combined event on the waters of the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Posted on 12 Jul
Marine Auctions: Two Online Auctions in July
Also Jacob Seiffert has been appointed as the Area Representative for the Port Lincoln Region Marine Auctions are proud to announce that Jacob Seiffert has been appointed as the Area Representative for the Port Lincoln Region in South Australia. Jacob is a local Commerical Fisherman. Posted on 12 Jul
Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta 2025 Preview
The fourth stop of the five series Sailing Grand Slam circuit Over 200 elite athletes from 42 nations have converged on Long Beach to test their skills on the same waters that will host sailing events during the LA2028 Olympic Games as they compete in the Long Beach Olympic Classes Regatta July 12-20 Posted on 12 Jul
Best Buddies from Germany win the AEGEAN 600 2025
The second wave of finishers benefit from last night's steadier breezes Behind the first wave of finishers yesterday morning, yesterday and last night's steadier breezes helped sweep in another wave of Monohull and Multihull finishers to the race finish at Cape Sounion. Posted on 11 Jul
Conversation with Ben Willows: CEO RS Marine Group
Some people's passion for sailing runs so deep, it feels like it's woven into their DNA There are some people whose passion for sailing runs so deep, it feels like it's woven into their DNA. Ben Willows is one of those people. Posted on 11 Jul
Henri-Lloyd Dynamic RangeMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMRS Sailing 2021 - FOOTER