THE RACES

Rutland Sailing Club offered bright sunshine and a great set of nine races over two days, testing a good-sized  fleet with light winds on Sunday and strong breezes on Monday, on the trapezoid courses suiting the Catapults. John Terry took a firm grip on the event, dominating in the stronger winds, and firmly establishing himself at the top of the leader-board for the TT series.

 In very light winds in Race one Alastair picked the port end advantage, and  even late to the line gained a big lead. John Terry emerged  from the pack to chase, and both nearly lost their advantage when the lead rib could not locate the next mark discovering it far to windward (where the shadow of the trees provided a lottery) and the fleet spread very widely.  Alastair watched John cut into his lead at times but held the first place over two slow laps. Paul Ellis came through the pack after early mark confusion for third, ahead of George Evans. Further back Nigel Harrison  and Justin Evans  began an event-long battle exchanging places until Nigel came through narrowly at the end.

(Below: Alastair holds on to his lead over John, Race 1.)  (All photos RSC Resue rib, with thanks.)

For race Two around a port trapezoid, John Terry sneaked into a port-end gap to start in front, with Alastair and local sailor and Catapult new comer Paul Cundy close behind at the windward mark, Paul falling back downwind with the TI rig. Paul Ellis pulled through the fleet to catch John, exchanging the lead back and forth until John narrowly took the gun. Behind George pulled up steadily only to die trying to sneak past the windward mark, tacking in dead air and letting Alastair away for third. Nigel took fifth ahead of Syd Gage.

In the afternoon, with three back-to-back races in bright sunshine and light southwesterlies veering widely, the course decamped to the SW  arm of the lake for clear breeze, around a port rectangle. For Race three, competing with the asymetrics for the starboard pin was the wrong decision, as Syd Gage and Paul following the first starters across got good air and then a big lift. At the end of  the first beat, with Paul already round, George and Alastair came into the upwind mark already vulnerable on port as a group tore down on them,  and then tangled themselves Alastair hitting the mark--- Paul out in front benefitted from the tangle behind. A  second lap lift pulled  Alastair up to second with John Terry in pursuit At the final short beat to the mark , John predicted that a flying 15 pointing high would blanket the Catapults, and bore away below it to snatch second  by two boat-lengths, with George fourth, Justin fifth and  Syd 6^th  

In Race four John and Paul with good starts led round the laps from Alastair, with enough in hand on the final runs to risk a battle bearing up way off course (watching Alastair gain but not enough) John defending  for a narrow win. From their continuing rivalry, Justin took fourth head of Nigel’s fifth.  In Race five Paul and Alastair squeezed John from the starboard pin, but his quick tack away still left him well-placed at the windward mark, resuming a battle with Paul for the lead. A bad beat put Alastair to the back, then pulling up gradually until a lift took him to third. Paul took the win from John by seconds  on the last short beat to the Conmmittee boat, John needing a final tack.  George pulled up quickly in the final beat to the line to just catch Nigel by one second. Monday brought very different conditions with a brisk southwesterly sending strong gusts across the blue reservoir in the sunshine and building waves at the downwind end . The two morning back-to-back races were over short trapezoid courses In Race six John was well away, trapezing from the outset with clear boat speed over the competition. Nigel and Chris starting in the first bunch used trapeze but over the several laps Alastair chased by George pulled up not trapezing and squeezing to windward in the gusts. Paul fell back in the heavy gusts and Chris came through for fourth .   (Right: Paul Ellis carefully constructing a win in Race 2 in light breeze, Paul Cundy behind with the TI rig.)

In Race Seven John established a steady lead, gaining on the trapeze. Paul pulled up in the upwind battle to catch Alastair. By this time the port leg from the downwind mark could sometimes lay the committee boat, splitting the fleet. George went to the right side of the course with a good gain, only to lose the close battle with Alastair for third place by a missed tack, then being caught at the windward mark by the starboard boats. Justin took fourth, and Nigel caught by a fierce gust at the gybe suffered the sole Catapult capsize of the event, the Catapults surviving the gusts well amongst the club boats going in.

 In Race eight John was again away well on the trapeze chased by George pushing up to windward  in the gusts.  These two built big lead over a five lap race, the rest far behind. Alastair moved up to third, but was steadily pulled back by Justin, until on the final short tacks to the finish Alastair was forced  to turn onto starboard to cross the line, catching Justin disastrously on port and his hurried tack let a stream of following boats through.  

In the shorter Race Nine John Alastair and George were away at the starboard end,  and again John’s trapezing took him steadily ahead, although the others were in touch this time. George, enjoying the heavy conditions, squeezed past Alastair on the beats to take and hold second, and Justin again pulled up towards the leaders into fourth, with Paul fifth.

(Below: Justin Evans leads Chris Phillips round the windward mark, Race 2)

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