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Winter Series Race 6 - Handicap

Published 15:52 on 15 Dec 2024

The final race of the Winter Series saw three teams in contention for the overall series win. Heading into the last race, John Burn and George Reynolds in their Merlin Rocket were in the driver's seat, having won more races and holding a one-point lead over Fran Gifford and Frankie Burn, also in a Merlin. Meanwhile, AJ and Sheila Squire in their Albacore were tied in second place, making it a nail-biting finale.

The day was sunny and cold with a light north-westerly breeze. Race Officer John Meadowcroft settled on a course of 5-x-3-x, with mark X placed slightly past mark 2 but in the middle of the tide.

From the start, AJ and Sheila made a strong showing, quickly joined by Fran and Frankie, the McLarens in their RS400, and Peter Colclough and Alister Morley in the 505. John and George were unlucky to miss the shift that accelerated the other boats, leaving them trailing as the fleet powered ahead toward Snapes. From here, the crews were able to test their toe straps, or trapeze in the case of the 505, as the breeze picked up nicely. Unfortunately, the time spent in more stable conditions was brief, as the fleet quickly returned to more challenging wind conditions in front of the club.

As the race progressed, Fran and Frankie in the Merlin, the RS400, and the 505 remained in close contention, navigating the fluky conditions with skill. However, it was at the final rounding of mark X that the drama unfolded: a mass pile-up occurred as the Solo fleet attempted to fight the tide and round the mark. Fran and Frankie kept their composure and managed to pop out ahead of the pack, sailing on to claim a well-deserved victory.

At that point, it was a waiting game for the other teams, as they watched to see if either the Squires in the Albacore or John and George in the Merlin (who only needed second place to take the series on count-back) could finish with a sufficiently good corrected time.

In the end, Fran and Frankie delivered what could only be described as a trouncing, finishing a full 10 minutes ahead of the Merlin and Albacore, who crossed the line together.

Final Series Results: