Monday 28 January 2013
Streaker Ramblings – Numbum – Races 5,6,7 & 8 - 20/01/2013
Numbum – Races 5 & 6 - 20/01/2013.
Racing on this day was not held, the duty RO considering the forecast, the day before, would not permit safe travel to Piddinghoe. There was a lot of snow about and it did snow lightly again that day but the Pond was not frozen over as the writer had expected. Those travelling from farther afield and up country might well have had problems.
Numbum – Races 7 & 8 - 27/01/2013
High Grey cloud with the odd bit of blue showing through and a moderate Westerly breeze as we left home for Piddinghoe. There were umpteen goodly sized puddles on the journey but no real floods. Around the car park it was a veritable sea of mud and willies were the order of the day.
Once at the pond the skies brightened up and the wind did not seem excessive so some rigging commenced, in the end some nine boats came to the starting line. Laurence Venus - RO for the day – set the start line midway down the south side of the pond with a windward leg up to the south west corner - to the mark just off the clubhouse. The next leg was a broad reach along the west side to the’ Fisherman’s Bay’ where there was a gybe and another reach, somewhat closer, to a mark just north of the island. From there it was another beat to a mark in the centre of the pond then a reach off to a mark at the southern end of the island. The final leg was a beat back up the southern side and through the ‘Gate’ back to the clubhouse mark.
At the gun it was Rupert Smith from NSSC sailing a full rig Laser who was first to cross the line towards the bank end, with Steve Duncan (Laser full rig – NSSC) a bit to windward and Paul Ryan (Laser full rig – Hardway SC) again to windward and by the pin end mark. Alan Simmons (Streaker – Lancing SC) was alongside Paul.R but got squeezed out and had to do a 360 degree turn to be able to cross the line, by then at the back of the fleet and with six boats ahead of him.
In the ensueing calls for water and tacking away from the bank it was Rupert.S who made it first round the windward mark and off on the top reach. Behind him Paul.R had pulled ahead of Steve.D and Roger McCAll (Laser full rig – Bexhill SC) was behind him but ahead of Michael Veale (RS200 – NSSC). Alan.S caught up a bit of his deficit and along the reach closed with and overtook both Roger.M and Michael.V. He was to lose that slender lead back to Roger. M on the following long beat up the south side. At the front Paul.R began to rein in Rupert.S but Steve.D also challenged and by the end of the first lap was in front of both Rupert and Paul by a few seconds. Although she started this race Jasmin Sayed (Topper NSSC) capsized in the then strong (top end force 4) breeze. It was very gusty and some of the puffs must have been well into force 5. Assisted by the safety boat she made it safely to the bank side where she remained until the second race of the day.
In lap 2 Paul.R took over the lead with Steve.D managing to stay ahead of Rupert.S. Roger.M was pulling away from Alan.S who in turn stayed ahead of Michael.V. John Smith (Pico –NSSC) extended
his lead over son Josh in his reefed down Topper.
Again in lap 3 Paul .R extended his lead at the front but Rupert.S got the better of Steve.D. Roger.M pulled out a bit further in front of Alan.S and the pair of them extended the gap between themselves and Micheal.V.
In lap 4 Paul.R increased his lead over Rupert.S and Rupert did likewise to Steve.D. 
On the reach down the west side and close to the Fisherman’s Bay, Michael.V, with spinnaker flying suffered a spectacular capsize and shortly after, whilst about to turn the southern mark to begin the final beat of the lap, Roger.M suffered a capsize and buried his mast in the mud. The Safety boat came to his aid but it all took rather a long time and he decided to retire. This let Alan.S through to fourth place on the water ahead of Michael V. and the order remained thus to the finish. With the Handicaps applied the winner was Paul.R with Alan.S second , Rupert.S third, Steve.D fourth and John.S fifth.
Race 2 of the day (Race 8 of the series, as programmed) was going to be held over the same course. The wind had not abated, if anything the gusts at least, were stronger. At the gun it was Alan.S nearest the pin and a touch ahead of Rupert.S in the middle of the line. To leeward and slightly behind Rupert was the RS200 of Michael Veale whilst behind Alan and quickly tacking off to port was Paul.R. As they approached the bank, Rupert with the faster speed of the full rig Laser was a little ahead and Alan.S decided to tack early with room and time to spare. Unfortunately Alan’s Buoyancy Aid snagged with his boom and the boat flipped over. By the time he had recovered everyone else was long gone. He finally made it to the mark off the clubhouse and had yet another dip as he was caught by a gust when attempting to bear off onto the broad reach. He snagged the buoyancy aid again whilst endeavouring to re- board his dinghy but continued to race thereafter, although already some four minutes behind by the end of the first lap.
Just behind Alan.S, Josh Smith also managed to capsize and upon recovery, with the assistance of the safety boat, dedcided to head to shore. At the front Paul.R pulled out ahead of Rupert.S who was in front of Michael.V with Steve.D – having made a very late start – in fourth position. Alan.S was by then astern of Jasmin.S and John.S. In the second lap there was no change in the four front runners but Alan.S clawed his way up to 5th ahead of Jasmin and John.
Lap 3 saw Steve.D take time out for a dry capsize which dropped him back behind Michael.V whilst Paul.R continued to extend his lead over Rupert.S and John.S passed Jasmin.S. Alan.S was unable to make any headway on the leading pack of four.
There were no changes of position in lap 4 but Alan.S was passed by Paul on his fifth and final lap.
Steve.D did managed to get back in front of Michael .V during the last lap but Paul.R was the clear winner over 2 minute ahead of Rupert.S
With the handicaps applied the finish order was 1st. Paul.R, 2nd. Rupert.S, 3rd. Steve.D, 4th. Michael.V.
Alan.S was in 5th place with John.S 6th and Jasmin.S 7th.
For full details of this day’s results and the series to date follow the link to the NSSC web site results
page:-
Alan.S 1700
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment