Home Page
Results
and Reports
Sailing Programme
Cruising
Tactics and Rules
The Boat |
A fleet of eight boats returned to
Carsington for
the third TT of the season, 8th-9th June, getting in the full 5-race
programme in spite of breeze varying light to nothing, and swinging NE to
E and back again.
Carsington
SC again gave their usual welcome to Catapult, agreeing
triangular courses (shared with cruisers on Saturday and the
Club boats on Sunday) and arranging the races flexibly (which
grabbed the best breeze on Sunday to give two good races.)
The big lake gave plenty of space for the
combined fleets
Saturday morning brought cloud breking into
sunshine, and a very light NNE breeze,
enough to keep the boats moving, but swinging 20-30' and
fluctuating.
(Right: Coming through the gate in a dead patch, Syd
(obscured) and Nigel carefully avoiding a cruiser, Saturday.) (Photo
CSC Rib, with thanks.) |
|
|
In Race 1 Alastair Stuart Ede led Alastair
Forrest from
the port end but Nigel Harrison coming down at them on starboard had good boat
speed to gain out to the left. For the first lap Alastair stayed
on Stuart's stern, with the fleet close, until Stuart gained enough boat speed upwind
for a useful lead held to the finish.
In the shifting and puffing breeze, Mike Gough came up
downwind, and held third as the fleet to spread out widely, with Syd
Gage fourth.
(Left: the fleet inching downwind in a dead patch, Race
1, Mike closest and Alastair chasing Stuart in the distance.
Photo from Syd Gage' on-board camera.) |
Race 2 follow back-to-back with sunshine and a better
breeze, ENE but still swinging and fluctuating. Stuart and Alastair again
picked up the port bias to lead the start, but Mike coming through on starboard went left, to get good breeze and a big lead. Damien
Cooney following out
left also with Chris Upton also gained, with Damien second at
the first mark. The third leg of the triangle, reaching back to the
committee boat and gate, summed up the frustrations and opportunities,
when the breeze swung left, and Mike was left downwind
from the gate, going from first to almost last in minutes, while
Alastair reached from behind past the fleet to just lead from Stuart at
the gate. (Photo below: CSC Rib, with thanks.)
|
Stuart climbed to windward to regain the lead. and extended this
to the finish and a second win on the day. Again Chris and
Damien gained upwind behind Stuart. On the final reach
Alastair was just able to ride over Syd Gage and Damien, and
push Chris, but with Stuart shouting strong encouragement from
the finish line, Chris was avoided being overlapped and turned
for his second place, Damien coming in fourth.
(Photo left: Chris comes through the gate just ahead for the
second place.)
Sunday morning came with cloud, poor
visibility and a flat lake making the prospects gloomy. A light
NE breeze took the fleet
out to the start and let them get away tightly on starboard. Stuart, well down the line, again
got boat speed in the decreasing breeze to ease away, and Mike on the right
climbed to windward for an apparent good lead. |
Then the wind died away, swinging round the compass but shifting
left overall, leaving Mike out right marooned again. The fleet bunched
up, but Stuart still found some speed in the tiny puffs to have a useful
lead to windward. Seeing the fleet at times motionless, the Race Officer
decided the first beat alone would be the whole race.This brought the
finish scarcely closer for Stuart, who watched as the rest picked up
bits and pieces of breeze while he was motionless yards from the new
finish line. Finally some wafts got him there, ahead of Nigel and
Alastair. Ironically, as the front runners crept over, puffs arrived to
zip the remainder of the fleet across the line.
(Below: Stuart sits motionless before the finish, Nigel and
Alastair creeping nearer.) (Photo Syd Gage)
It
was an easy decision all round to abandon morning racing for an early
lunch. The Race Officer noted the forecast of some early afternoon
breeze, and the good decision was made to head out again, with the wind
picking up to be still light but very usable from the ENE under bright
sunshine.
Stuart led Alastair away from the favoured port end of the line, but with Nigel close coming
down fast on starboard. Stuart held his lead into the second lap
but Alastair closed up enough downwind to catch him on a
starboard/port avoidance, and his 360' pushed him back still
close behind Alastair and Syd.
Upwind for the last time Stuart went right looking for breeze,
only to suffer a big left-hand shift, gifting Alastair, and Syd
close behind, the win and second.
Right: start of Race 4: new member Marcus Reuber with the T1 rig
gets going, with Alastair chasing Stuart behind.
Photo Syd Gage.) |
|
|
The fleet made the sensible decision to grab the good conditions and hold
Race 5
immediately back to back,
in the same light shifting breeze.
Alastair controlled the favored port end but Stewart was faster away for
a useful early lead. Alastair pulled up downwind., and after
they rounded the bottom mark they touched, agreeing to both do
360's (sportingly by Stuart, as it was probably still part of
rounding.) (Photo
left) Stuart spun his 360' fast enough to keep the lead,
and Alastair was overtaken by Syd and Nigel, but was able to
pull it back in the reach to the gate.
(Left:
Syd (camera) is left wondering as Alastair and Stuart both
rotate in front of him.)
|
Stuart
opened a big lead, upwind and over the next lap, but Alastair and Syd
pulled him back down-wind and reaching (helped by Stuart tangling with a
club RS400 at the downwind mark.)
With Stuart well ahead, he hit a dead patch in the final reach,
and Alastair brought up the breeze, with Syd following. In the
final two short tacks to the committee boat Alastair snatched
the first place by half a length, after Stuart had led the race for 99% of the
three laps.
(Right:
Alastair tucks around the Committee boat to snatch the first
from Stuart. Photo Syd Gage.)
|
|
RESULTS
Rank |
Helm |
R1
|
R2
|
R3
|
R4 |
R5 |
Total |
Nett |
1st |
Stuart Ede |
1 |
1 |
1 |
(3) |
2 |
8 |
5 |
2nd |
Alastair Forrest |
2 |
3 |
(3) |
1 |
1 |
10 |
7 |
3rd |
Syd Gage |
4 |
(5) |
4 |
2 |
3 |
18 |
13 |
4th |
Nigel Harrison |
5 |
(7) |
2 |
4 |
4 |
22 |
15 |
5th |
Chris Upton |
6 |
2 |
(7) |
5 |
5 |
25 |
18 |
6th |
Mike Gough |
3 |
6 |
6 |
DNC 9 |
(DNC) |
33 |
24 |
7th |
Marcus Reuber |
(8) |
8 |
5 |
6 |
6 |
33 |
25 |
8th |
Damien Cooney |
7 |
4 |
8 |
DNC 9 |
(DNC) |
37 |
28 |
HANDICAP RESULTS
Rank |
Helm |
H'cap |
R1
|
R2
|
R3
|
R4 |
R5 |
Total |
Nett |
1st |
Stuart Ede |
880 |
1 |
(3) |
2 |
3 |
2 |
11 |
8 |
2nd |
Syd Gage
|
925 |
(7) |
4 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
16 |
9 |
3rd |
Alastair Forrest |
925 |
2 |
5 |
(6) |
2 |
3 |
18 |
12 |
4th |
Chris Upton |
1000 |
4 |
1 |
(7) |
4 |
5 |
21 |
14 |
5th |
Nigel Harrison |
950 |
5 |
(8) |
1 |
5 |
4 |
23 |
15 |
6th |
Damien Cooney |
1020 |
6 |
2 |
5 |
(9) |
9 |
31 |
22 |
7th |
Markus Reuber |
1000 |
(8) |
7 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
31 |
23 |
8th |
Mike Gough |
870 |
3 |
6 |
8 |
(9) |
9 |
35 |
26 |
(Below: Mike creeps to the gate ahead
of Chris, Saturday. Photo CSC Rib, with thanks)
(Back
to top)
Home Page
Cruising
|