WS RACING – SUMMER 2 – August 12th

The weather forecast for the time of the Race was encouraging even if it was not as good as recent weeks. There wasn’t a ripple on the lake’s surface when the volunteers arrived at 0830 to get all the dinghies and support craft readied for the day. It was great to welcome Mike Blatchford back to the WS Racing sessions and another 10 WS Racers and 1 guest dinghy (with Keith and Jane Eeles’ grandchildren aboard – cousins Jessica and Leonard). They were out on the water testing the wind for strength and direction from 1000 through to the 3 minute Race Start gong which sounded at 1100.

By then a good SSW wind had arrived and by the time the Start gong sounded to start the race, there were 4 or 5 boats a few feet if not inches from the line and able to make immediate progress on their first tack up to the windward mark (Buoy A). The video below shows a great start. Well done!

As you can see most of the fleet was up to the line as the final Gong sounded – brilliant sailing. Martin Norman – Liberty Sail Yellow #22 – did very well to avoid being over the start line! (Great awareness of time and position. Ed) My hope is that each sailor is able to watch how they and everyone around them made their way from the Start line up to the windward Mark (Buoy A) and decide if anything happened from which they can learn.

Three of the four Libertys (Sail #s 25, 22, 24) rounded buoy A at the head of the fleet and in that order. Peter Wagner (Sail Blue #25) arrived first and was 30 metres clear by the time Martin Norman (Sail Yellow #22) rounded the mark and he was 1 metre ahead of Derek Preston (Sail White #24). Peter increased his lead on the run to Buoy C and led by 50 metres by the time Martin and Derek rounded Buoy C and started running down to the leeward mark Buoy D.

Here is a video of the race leaders rounding Buoy D (windward Mark) during the second lap…

These three racers remained in the lead on the water for the whole race but their order changed on every lap of their four laps. Peter Wagner sailed fastest on each lap’s upwind leg from Buoy D to A and mainly held the lead on the leg from A to C (but not in the final lap when Derek led round C) whilst Martin and Derek caught up with Peter on the downwind runs from C to D. Their position on the water as they approached Buoy D was important and indeed critical for Peter as he was chasing Derek on the final lap but as he approached D he had the overlap 3 boat lengths away from the buoy and therefore had the right to water around D – which Derek gave him. This set him up to tack first and then his superior upwind sailing enabled him to hold off both Derek and Martin who was not that far behind. Even a small mistake by either Peter or Derek would have enabled Martin to gain a place or two! (Great concentration and sailing by all three! Ed)

Here are some photos of the leaders during the race…

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The Libertys are faster boats than the Access 303s and hence end up leading on the water. Here is a video of them arriving and rounding D on the third lap…

There was fierce competition in two small groups behind the Libertys. The faster group comprised Mike Blatchford (Sail Yellow #3), Steve Farmer (Sail Yellow #6), Kelly Tripp and her crew James Thomas (Sail White # 8), Mark Cayzer and his crew Mike Cartwright (Sail Red #10). The other group were Geoff Taylor (Sail Yellow # 4), Jessica Eeles and her cousin Leonard (Sail White #7), Trevor Monk (Sail Blue # 9) and Ann Frewer (2.3 Sail Striped #279). In both groups, the helms were swapping position right through to completing their three and two laps respectively. The handicapping system meant that Kelly Tripp, Mike Blatchford and Steve Farmer beat the Liberty of Bob Fisher. And even between them the margins were very small – namely Kelly was just 9 seconds per lap behind Martin Norman and Mike was 5 sec/lap behind Kelly. Not far!!

Here are some photos of them sailing their own races… (Great to see competition throughout the fleet. Ed)

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Result for Race 2 of Summer Series is:

1. Peter Wagner – Liberty Sail Blue #25
2. Derek Preston – Liberty Sail White #24
3. Martin Norman – Liberty Sail Yellow #22
4. Kelly Tripp and her crew James Thomas – 303 Sail White #8
5. Mike Blatchford – 303 Sail Yellow #3
6. Steve Farmer – 303 Sail Yellow #6
7. Bob Fisher – Liberty Sail White #23
8. Ann Frewer – 2.3 Sail Striped #279
9. Mark Cayzer and his crew Mike Cartwright – 303 Sail Red #10
10. Trevor Monk – 303 Sail Blue #9
11. Geoff Taylor – 303 Sail Yellow #4

What a marvellous day with good wind that got even better for those who sailed in the afternoon. Well done to all the Racers and many thanks to the volunteers who crewed and helped with getting everybody on the water.