Wednesday 18 July 2018

Streaker Ramblings - Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club - 14th July 2018

Hot, Windless and cloudless as we left home for Island Barn, close to Sandown Race Course on Saturday morning. Apart from getting lost in the last quarter of a mile – conflict between the written instructions and the GPS, the drive up was uneventful. The reservoir walls are 40 to 50 feet above the car parking area so the boats have to be hauled up to the top of the wall by a winch system and then lowered by hand down the other side to the water’s edge with just over a boats width on which to rig before launching. On arrival at the launching point there was not a breath of wind and even attempting to get out to the start line there was little more. In fact Alan never did reach the line before the sequence had started. 



The race Officer had set a Triangle/Sausage type course, as shown below, with the line parallel to the bank in front of the club and about 75 yards off the shoreline. 



The following report is penned by Chris Smith (the local club member) and reproduced here with his kind permission - together with Photographs by Elizabeth Simmons :-

The long hot summer of 2018 delivered yet another baking hot sunny day to Island Barn Reservoir Sailing Club. The wind unfortunately was also very light as had been forecast which no doubt reduced the number of competitors attending. The open meeting was shared with the Solo class. Nevertheless, 5 Streakers entered the meeting and there were three very good close races.



The first race started in very light conditions with a reaching start. Duncan McDonald and Graham Butler opened up a bit of a lead on the rest of the fleet. In the last lap however the fleet bunched up with Alan Simmons making a great run from well back in last place to get right into contention and there was almost a blanket finish with the whole fleet crossing the line within a few boat lengths. At the finish Mc Donald was still in the lead with Smith 2nd and Butler 3rd with Phil Haldron just holding on in the end for 4th.







In race 2 shifting wind resulted in a running start but again Butler and McDonald got away with Phil Haldron in hot pursuit. Graham Butler held on to win this one with Duncan McDonald 2nd Alan Simmons pulled off another of his rapid advances in the last lap to this time finish 3rd. 

























With the wind continuing to shift to the East the Race Officer decided (was persuaded) to run the third race  course in reverse, switching the wing mark to be the windward mark and switching all the roundings to be starboard hand. So the start was a more normal beating start. Mc Donald and Butler again took the lead with Smith chasing. The starboard roundings as always provided some entertainment with the conflict between Port boats demanding room and boats coming in on Starboard. In the end McDonald won a comfortable victory but Butler rounding the last mark in 2nd place was not able to fetch the finishing line from the last mark and let Smith through. Haldon managed to pip Simmons for 4th. 

Overall McDonald was the comfortable winner with Graham Butler taking 2nd on count back with Smith 3rd.
Chris Smith (Edits by Alan.S 1700)

Results:- 


Posn
Sail No
Helm
Club
R1
R2
R3
Pts
1
2102
Duncan McDonald
NSSC
1
(2)
1
2
2
1760
Graham Butler
Frensham Pond
3
1
(3)
4
3
1844
Chris Smith
Island Barn
2
(4)
2
4
4
1700
Alan Simmons
Lancing
5
3
(5)
8
5
1905
Phil Hadron
Downs
4
(5)
4
9

Alan.S 1700
PS. It was remarkable that in all three races the tail enders caught up with the leaders in the final legs and the 'fleet' all crossed the line almost together.

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