Being the final race of the Spring Series 2016, there were some positions at the top and in the middle of the rankings that would be decided dependent upon the results of this LAST race!! Tension and excitement was in the air as thirteen helms and three crews took to the water. It was great to welcome Cara for her first race of the season, who was helming a 303 with James as her crew.
The course had been set and was up on the Black Board down on the Foreshore by 10.00. With the prevailing wind from the West, the Start line was between the Race Boat and Mark K, with the first leg requiring a lengthy beat upwind and rounding the windward Mark B to starboard, followed by a run downwind rounding Mark C to starboard before a reach across the lake back to Mark K to complete the lap. The wind’s strength varied during the race between 15 knot gusts to a bare 2 knot puff!! The timing of the stronger wind effected the outcome of this race…since it didn’t appear until 15 minutes after the first boat (Ann Frewer’s 2.3) had started . That meant the faster boats (the 2.4s and Martins) started sailing with a very decent 10 knot breeze to help them catch up with the Liberty’s and 303s which had been struggling for most of the 15 minutes they had been racing! You can see from the schematic below the result of this effect, nevertheless it is to the 2.3 and 303 helms’ credits that they managed to keep their lead over the 2.4s and Martins for so long into the race :)!
THE FINAL RACE OF THE SPRING SERIES and SOME BEAUTIFUL CLOUD FORMATIONS at Chipstead
RACE LEADER (Ann Frewer) BEING HAULED IN BY CHASING 303s
DAVID MASON WORKING HARD TO MAKE THE MOST OF HIS SPEEDY 2.4
Final Result 1. Kim; 2. Cara/James; 3. Peter W; 4. David Mason; 5. Mike B; 6. Steve; 7. Mark Cayzer/John; 8. Ann Frewer; 9. Andy Wallace; 10. Bob; 11. Fay Watson/Diana; 12. Brain Mac; 13. Bill Garry
