Midweek Series Three - Race 1

Published 20:13 on 20 Jul 2023

On this lively Wednesday, twenty-two boats gathered at the starting line, eager to set sail. 

The light northwesterly wind and flood tide made starting from the beach the favorable option. John Burn, sailing his Solo, seized the opportunity, skillfully maneuvering along the beach and taking the lead as the wind shifted.

A breakaway group formed behind Burn, featuring the Squires in their Albacore and Robin Hodges and Olly Turner in Solos. As they approached Mark 1, the McLaren RS400 and the Becks in their Yawl had joined the breakaway. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet had spread out, with some boats only just crossing the starting line.

During the downwind leg towards Crossways, the RS 400 and Albacore managed to pull away in the tricky conditions. However, the leading Solos and Yawl were left helpless as the wind died allowing the Savells in their Yawl and Dan Bridger in his Solo to catch up and move to the front of the pack.

With the course shortened after rounding Crossways, the focus shifted to finding the quickest route to the finish line. Andrew and Sheila Squire in the Albacore showcased their skill, claiming both line honors and victory on corrected time.

The race for second and third place was a tight battle among the Solos. Hodges rounded Crossways first, followed by Burn, Bridger, and Turner. It seemed like Hodges had control as he led the way back to the Ferry landing. However, Turner's mid-course strategy nearly paid off, but he fell short due to the lack of wind. Burn took advantage of hugging the shoreline, regaining his lead but quickly ran out of wind as he found himself in the wind shadow a Yawl. Robin capitalised and drifted passed securing himself second place leaving Burn to take third.

Despite the unpredictable wind directions, the race provided great fun with plenty of close racing and position changes throughout the entire fleet.

Special thanks to Julian Meek and the safety boat teams for overseeing another successful evening on the water.

Final Standings:
1st - Albacore, AJ & Sheila Squire
2nd - Solo, Robin Hodges
3rd - Solo, John Burn