We
took the long route (shortest timewise) from Hove to Redoubt SC near Hythe in
Kent. It was an easy and un-eventful trip with blue skies, the odd white cloud
and a light breeze on the way. With just one comfort break on the M20 near
Maidstone we arrived in plenty of time to rig the boat with plenty of space as
we were the only visitors to the club.
The
RO for the day, Jack Turnbull set a complex course, given the slightly north
westerly light breeze (force 2) for the first race as shown below:-
Three
club boats, two Miracles and a Laser radial, were due to have club racing so
the RO combined their race with that of the seven Streakers with a simultaneous
start. With the start line off mark 6 there was a windward leg towards Mark 1
and the first three boats off the line were Keith Macey (Redoubt), Hilary
Pittock (Redoubt), Alan Simmons (Lancing) and Peter Brocker (Redoubt). After a
short tack to the left hand side Alan tacked onto port and went into the lead.
Second to round the No 1 mark was Keith with Peter close behind and these two
continued to battle it out for the next three laps as Alan pulled out ahead of
them. At the end of the first lap Alan was in front with Peter next up and then
Keith. Behind them Ian Hodge (Redoubt) held 4th with John Bashford
(Redoubt) 5th, Mike Smales (Redoubt) 6th and Hilary 7th.
By
the end of the second lap the order for the fleet was settled and apart from
the contest between Keith and Peter which lasted until the end of the third
lap. In the final lap, as the breeze began to pick up, Keith began to pull out
ahead of Peter and to reel in Alan but remained three or four lengths behind at
the gun.
Race
2, after lunch, was held over a revised course – the wind having increased to a
mid force 4 and swung much further to the west (see course below which is my
best memory of its arrangement – lots of gybes anyway) :-
The
fleet now comprised just six boats with Tracy Amos (Redoubt) taking out
John
Bashford’s Streaker and Neil Gibson sailing Mike Smales boat. Peter made the
best start close under the committee boat south of mark 3 with Neil away next
and then Tracy, with Alan the most inshore starter. 
Alan was next up but very wide of the mark having had his Kicker attachment on the boom pull a good six inches forward. This allowed Neil to gybe inside him and on the ensuing reach to mark 2 also pass Peter. After another gybe, on the way back to mark 5, Ian succumbed to a capsize and decided it was too breezy and retired ashore. On the long run back to mark 3 (from mark 9) Alan managed to pass Peter to get back into third place behind Ian and hang on until the final lap where Peter was able to out sail him upwind. Tracy had pulled out a substantial lead and Neil was unable to catch her.
For
race 3 the RO changed the course yet again – with less gybes – as the breeze
grew even stronger (mid force 5 at times) and shifted yet again towards the
south west, as shown below:-
First
away (in the now five boat fleet) from the line set close to mark 3 again was
Keith, followed by Peter and then Neil. Tracy started at the pin end and Alan
was nowhere to be seen but ended up on the far left of the course. After
tacking onto port he had to duck the sterns of Keith and Peter and shortly
after to do the same to Neil and Tracy. At the windward mark a twee hole opened
up and he slipped past Keith and Peter to lie third down the reach to mark 1.
On the following beat , to mark 8, both Peter and Keith passed Alan whilst Neil
pulled out ahead. At the gybe (mark 9)
the gusts came thick and fast. Tracy was the first to suffer a capsize here but
she quickly recovered however Keith and Peter got past her at this point and
even Alan closed the gap a bit.
There were no places changing on the broad
reach back across to mark 6 but Neil, in the lead, made the mistake of going
off to mark 5 in error and although he did not lose the lead it was
considerably reduced. On the second lap and the ensuing beat Alan managed to
pass Keith but he was still a good way behind Peter and Tracy. He caught up a
bit on the broad reach back from mark 9 to mark 6 and then even more on the
subsequent leg.
At mark 3 both Peter and Tracy were hit by big gusts and Alan
popped through them but on the way down to mark 1 Tracy powered back ahead of
him. At the gybe (mark 9) Peter nearly came a cropper once more but recovered
although he lost some distance.
After the reach back to mark 6 and the gybe
there both Tracy and Alan suffered capsizes form which Tracy was unable, even
with the assistance of the safety boat, to recovered and she retired. Alan did
recover but by that time Peter had passed him
and was unable to catch him in the final lap. Neil was the winner with
Peter 2nd, Alan 3rd and Keith 4th.
At
the prize giving afterwards Neil took the winners spot with Alan second and
Peter 3rd.
The
conditions during the day went from very light to very strong and the wind
moved through 45 degrees between each race. As a result everyone had their
chance with a different winner in each race.
Overall
Results:-
Redoubt Streaker Open Meeting 17th May 2015
Sailed: 3, Discards: 1, To count: 2, Entries: 9,
Scoring system: Appendix A
Rank
|
SailNo
|
Club
|
HelmName
|
R1
|
R2
|
R3
|
Total
|
Nett
|
1st
|
1476
|
Redoubt
|
Niel
Gibson
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
2.00
|
0.75
|
12.75
|
2.75
|
2nd
|
1700
|
Lancing
|
Alan
Simmons
|
0.75
|
(4.00)
|
3.00
|
7.75
|
3.75
|
3rd
|
1384
|
Redoubt
|
Peter
Brooker
|
(3.00)
|
3.00
|
2.00
|
8.00
|
5.00
|
4th
|
1433
|
Redoubt
|
Keith
Macey
|
2.00
|
(5.00)
|
4.00
|
11.00
|
6.00
|
5th
|
1610
|
Redoubt
|
Tracy
Amos
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
0.75
|
10.00
DNF
|
20.75
|
10.75
|
6th
|
1476
|
Redoubt
|
Mike
Smales
|
4.00
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
10.00
DNC
|
24.00
|
14.00
|
7th
|
1409
|
Redoubt
|
Ian
Hodge
|
5.00
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
10.00
DNC
|
25.00
|
15.00
|
8th
|
1610
|
Redoubt
|
John
Bashford
|
6.00
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
10.00
DNC
|
26.00
|
16.00
|
9th
|
1435
|
Redoubt
|
Hilary
Pittock
|
7.00
|
(10.00
DNC)
|
10.00
DNC
|
27.00
|
17.00
|
Alan.S
1700
