The Art of Drifting: Winter Series Race 4 Handicap

Published 20:18 on 18 Nov 2024

Despite a complete and utter lack of wind, two plucky Merlin Rockets and a lone 505 lined up for the fourth installment of the Winter Series on Saturday, determined to turn drifting into a fine art. Luckily, the tide had the decency to be at the end of its cycle, so things weren't quite as miserable as they could have been. That's not to say it felt like a walk in the park at the time.

In a bit of pre-race shuffling, Frankie Burn jumped ship, deciding to try his luck in the front of Fran Giffords Merlin. Meanwhile, John Burn found himself partnered with George Reynolds, one of SYC's bright Topper talents, keen to see what life was like at the sharp end of a Merlin Rocket.

As the race got underway—or, rather, as the boats began their slow-motion ballet along the Portsmouth shore—John and George emerged as the fastest drifters of the trio, rounding mark X with a slender lead. Their secret weapon? Gravity? Luck? Who knows. Fran and Frankie, the featherweight duo, eventually got up to speed—or what passes for speed in a windless drift—and started to close the gap on the way to Millbay.

The Merlins were bow-to-stern at Millbay, just in time for the sweet, sweet sound of the shorten course hooter, signalling that everyone's suffering would soon be over. What followed was a tense, nail-biting drift back to the finish line. Spectators were on the edge of their seats—or would have been, had there been enough breeze to generate any real excitement.

As the finish line loomed (very slowly), it all came down to a photo finish. John and George managed to cling on, taking a well-deserved first place. A big round of applause for George, who delivered a stellar debut performance in his first Merlin race. Fran and Frankie settled for second, with Peter and Alisters 505 unable to match the Merlins expert drifting pace, finishing in third.

All in all, it was a race to remember—if only for the sheer absurdity of it. Who needs wind when you've got determination, patience, and an audience of Solo sailors willing to heckle you from the beach??

By John Burn

Photos: Lucy Burn