Dark
grey skies, pouring rain, and quite a strong Southerly wind was blowing as we
set off for Piddinghoe. Lots of puddles on the roads but no floods on the way
down. Altogether not a very enticing/appealing situation but having changed and
rigged a few others came to the water – six in all.
Rupert
Smith RO for the day set a vaguely figure of eight course, in the force five
wind, with a start line just off the Fisherman’s bay on the west side. From there
there was a beat up to a turning mark off the clubhouse and a very tight fetch
to a mark mid way down the south side of the pond. Bearing off from there it
was a very broad reach/run to a mark mid way along the east side of the pond
followed by a windward leg east of the Island to a mark in the south east
corner. There followed a very broad
reach/cum run back to the starting mark in the northwest corner. Rupert had
intended to anchor off but the wind was so strong he had to beach the
‘committee boat’ in the corner of the bay and ‘anchor to the reeds’.
At
the start Alan Simmons (Streaker – Lancing SC) was first cross the line on
starboard tack just ahead of Roger McAll (Laser full rig - Pevensey Bay SC) .
However having a better appreciation of the wind direction both Paul Ryan
(Laser full rig - Hardway SC) and Michael Veale and Mike Rosier (RS200 – NSSC)
although a length or so behind at the gun were very soon ahead and on course.
Steve Duncan (Laser full rig – NSSC) was late to the line and even later up the
first leg and off to the run. Bringing up the rear Jasmin Sayed (Topper – NSSC)
had already had several capsizes before the start and in the very strong winds
continued in similar vein throughout the race.
Michael.V
was first to round the windward mark with Paul.R close up astern and followed
down the fetch and onto the run across the pond. Alan.S held on to 3rd
place until Roger.M passed him on the long run across the pond and began to pull
away up the next beat. Paul.R led the fleet by the end of the first lap
stretching out in front of Roger.Mwho had also overtaken Michael.V Steve.D was
seen to head for the bank – presumably having suffered some gear failure and
did not enter the second race.
In
lap 2 Alan.S got a bit too close to the Island, hit the pudding with his daggerbaord
and ended up on ‘beach’ (Brambles largely). He finally got off with the aid of
the safety boat crew – Stuart and Dan Ford – but at the end of the lap had
fallen five minutes behind Paul.R. Roger.M and Michael.V continued to battle it
out through the rest of the race until Michael came out ahead in the final lap when Roger had a partial capsize at the beginning of the final beat.
It
was hardly necessary to work out the handicaps as Paul was so far ahead at the
finish and the only choice was between Roger.M and Michael.V, the former taking
second place and Alan.S, even though finishing a lap short, was in fourth
place. Jasmin battled on to finish in fifth spot but came to the line again for
the second race of the day.
Race
two (No 12 in the series) was run over the same course and with Rupert once
again attempting to anchor – and failing for the second time – and having to
beach. This time it Michael.V first off across the line with Alan.S just behind
and a bit to windward. Paul.R was to Leeeward of Alan.S but the greater speed
of the Laser soon pulled him past. Roger.M was late getting to the start,
having ‘beached’ at the main jetty between the races, so had a bit of catching
up to do. Michael.V was first around the windward mark and along the close
reach but by the end of the run Paul.R had passed him. Alan.S also passed the
RS200 when it capsized at the end of the first run so moving into second place
but did not stay there long. By the end of the second main beat – up the
western side – Roger.M had pulled up to
a one second advantage with the RS200 just seven seconds behind.
In lap 2 both Paul.R and Roger.M pulled out in the lead ahead of Alan.S and Michael.V with Alan.S staying just ahead by four seconds.
In lap 3, on the return run from the south eastern mark, Alan.S himself capsized in a gust in the Fisherman’s bay. This time it was a dry capsize so he did not lose too much time – enough for the RS200 to get past again and pull out a gap of about a minute and a half and also to catch up with Roger a little. Paul.R was just off and flying. By this time, the end of lap 3 for the fast boats, Jasmin.S had just finished sailing one full lap but with a considerable number of tip ups, some of which were dry events. At the end of the two races, with the amount of work she had put in she must have been exhausted.
Lap
4 was uneventfull in that there were no place changes although Alan.S seemed to
drop further back behind Michael.V.
In
the final lap 5 it was Alan.S again who featured when on the long run from the
south east corner to the Fisherman’s bay he had a spectacular wipe out in one
of the many violent gusts. This time he had to swim round from the starboard
side to get to the board. Whilst the safety boat stood by he managed to get the
boat upright and himself back on board, tacking downwind to reach the
penultimate mark and the final beat back to the line.
Again
the winner was clearly Paul.R with Roger.M second and Michael.V third.
Alan.S came 4th and Jasmin.S
fifth.
Conditions
for these two races were more suited to the young and fit but even for them it
was very hard work. This series has had more than its fair share of strong wind
– who knows what the final two weeks will bring.
Alan.S 1700
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