Spring Series 8 – 21st April 2019

It was a beautiful sunny morning with a light N to NE wind 5 – 6mph and Mike T used a CB start with the CB near Tektona and the pin out towards the buoy lin. The first mark was X (near to 8), then 5, 4 and back through the start, a nice easy course to remember (you would think!).

Nev was out in his newly acquired Leader and apparently crew Mike N has also acquired a new Leader (things are hotting up in the Leader fleet!) Rhys was taking after his old man (less of that) by using a BLACK full rig Laser.

Pursuit Race

There were 13 starters and at the end of the first lap the early starters were still at the front of the fleet with Ron (Mirror) leading Chris H (Comet), Mike A (Lightning) and Bea (Oppie). Ron and Chris managed to stay out in front for the whole 35 minutes, but Ellen & Newton (RS200) slowly snatched 3^rd from Karen (Laser) in the last few minutes of the race. The final positions were –

1^st Ron; 2^nd Chris H; 3^rd Ellen & Newton; 4^th Karen; 5^th Mike A; 6^th Richard S (Laser)

Handicap Race

Dave I, as usual, opted for a nice cup of tea rather than a second race so the fleet was down by one.

Karen was first back through the line followed by Newton & Ellen, Chris H and Mike A, then came the three Lasers of Richard S, James and Adrian. Next along in 8^th place were Nev & Mike leading the other two Leaders of Sally & Mike C and Dave & Ann with Rhys trapped in the middle of them. Bea was next across the line some distance ahead of Ron. Now you would think that with only three marks that that it would be difficult to go wrong, but Ron found himself about to round X only to be told that he had missed the start line out! Credit to him, he turned around and went all the way back up the lake to go through the start line.

At the end of the second lap the three leaders were in the same order, but James had moved up to 4^th place by overtaking Mike A and Richard S. With a wind that was dropping, this turned out to be the gain that James did not want, as after he had crossed the line Richard and Mike and everyone else behind received the finish gun!  Rhys had managed to clear the Leaders to finish 7^th just ahead of Adrian, but in the Leader battle there was a change of fortune with Dave & Ann coming up to 9^th, Sally & Mike C in the middle and Nev & Mike down to 11^th. Bea was 12^th and Ron did persevere to finish just as everyone was packing up!.

On the third and last lap Karen at the front caught the best of the falling wind and got well away from the other three. The final order on the water was –

1^st Karen; 2^nd Chris; 3^rd Newton & Ellen; 4^th James, then one lap down 5^th Richard; 6^th Mike A  

On corrected time Karen, Chris and Newton & Ellen keep their positions, but Mike A moves up to 4^th with Richard S 5^th and Dave & Ann up to 6^th. Poor James drops down to 8^th, but to rub salt into the wound finishes behind Rhys!

Thanks to Mike T and the OOD Team of Alistair S, Colin H, Ian B and Richard C

Finally, a note of apology – in the last week report I got the name of Ron’s grandson incorrect!

Sorry Levi and well done for crewing for Gramps, he obviously could have done with you this week as well !

Also, Shiloh did start the second race in his Topper, but retired which I missed, but in mitigation so did the OOD Team.