Wednesday 12 July 2017

Streaker Ramblings - Streaker Open at Island Barn - 08.07.2017


Blue Cloudless skies, and an almost flat calm greeted the six entrants for this the first Streaker Open (P & B Sponsored Sothern Area Series) to be held at Island Barn Sailing Club. A further eight Solos arrived for the joint meeting. An Olympic style course was set with the Streakers having the first start.
 
 A whisper of breeze left the small, elite, fleet struggling to get across the line until Rupert Smith (Newhaven & Seaford) found the route and shot away from the rest.
By the end of the first triangle Rupert had a good leg lead over Peter Withrington (Burghfield) and Alex Reindorp (Chipstead) lying third.
 
After the sausage Rupert was still in the lead but Chris Smith (Island Barn) had moved up to second place with Alan Simmons (Lancing) lying third – the latter two gaining as Alex and Peter went off on a second (wrong) triangle. Alan and Chris continued to vie for second place with Alan taking the gun at the end of the race as he closed up the gap slightly on Rupert. Peter also caught up with Chris and got ahead to take third place. Fifth place went to Phil Hadron (Downs) and sixth to Alex.
The second race was held (B to B) over the same basic course, with only minor adjustment and although there was a little more breeze there was still a crush at the committee boat end of the line but it was Alex who got away first and holding on for the first lap. Alan also got a reasonable start and held second place with Peter taking third spot. Chris crossed the line in fourth place with Rupert fifth and Phil sixth. There were no place changes at the end of each subsequent lap but the fleet was fairly tightly bunched throughout the race – only 20 seconds between first and second place and a further 32 seconds to third spot.

After a lunch break the breeze was still rather fitful but the direction it was coming from had changed by 180 degrees and so a new course had to be set with the committee boat nearer to the clubhouse shore.
This time at the start it was Alex who got away cleanly into first position with Peter hard on his heels and Chris holding third place at the end of the beat. Alan who had started eventually in last place had pulled through the fleet to lead at the end of the lap with Chris lying second and Phil third. Peter was fourth after a lap with Rupert  fifth and Alex sixth.
By the end of the second lap Alan was still ahead with Peter lying second and Alex lying third. At the end of the next windward leg Peter and Alex had overtaken Alan but headed off on the downwind leg instead of the reach. Alan, spotting Rupert going on the correct route, was able to recover and gain water on him at the gybe mark and then pull away ahead once more.
 Alex also passed Rupert to lie second with Peter fourth. On the last lap and up the windward leg the breeze was extremely fickle with lots of big holes but Alan managed to hang on to his lead and win the race ahead of Alex with Peter third, Rupert fourth, Phil fifth and Chris sixth.
 
The overall Meeting win went to Alan, on equal points with Alex, but with the better last race position. Rupert was awarded third place with Peter fourth, Chris fifth and Phil sixth.

On thanking the club, RO, Safety boat and Galley crews for their effort Alan also thanked his competitors for letting him win his first ever Streaker Open Meeting
Overall Results:-
  
Posn
Sail No
Helm
Club
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3
Points
1
1700
Alan Simmons
Lancing
2
(2)
1
3
2
1953
Alex Reindorp
Chipstead
(6)
1
2
3
3
1681
Rupert Smith
Newhaven
1
(6)
4
5
4
1929
Peter Withrington
Burghfield
(4)
3
3
6
5
1844
Chris Smith
Island Barn
3
4
(6)
7
6
1905
Phil Haldron
Downs
5
(6)
6
10