Canned Racing

Dim Gwynt

We were up at 0715 this morning and had breakfast with the Poles and Nestor. It was still darkish outside when we went down to the club full of anticipation of good winds.
We launched at 0900 just as one of the worlds biggest sail traning ships arrived.

The wind was supposed to be south and windy but it was easterly and light as.

Race 2a saw big Matt Whitfield leading in 2 knots from Hun 5. Matt led at the leeward gate and up the final beat until the race officer intervened and canned the race, thats 2 races Matt was doing well in when he was canned.

Canned Matt- winner of canned racing.

Jamie was less lucky, and was some way back, back at mark 2 whern the race was canned!

Race 2b had got under way with Sarah and Mimi doing ok, until canned. Race 2c Saw Milo leading and Jo 3rd when it was canned.

Then the wind went North West and after an aborted restart of race 2a the wind died away and then came from the south, it was all over the place, with impact zones, bouncing wind, killer gusts, holes and stuff. Jamie made the most of it and led by 1 minute at the leeward gate.

Jamie at the leeward gate.
Jamie did an excellent job of herding the fleet up the beat and Matt got up to 6th. Unfortunately the wind died and started to fil in on the left leaving all of the leaders stranded- an impossible position which required manning upto. It was a great effort - just unlucky.

Mimi and Sarah had great starts but Sarah put in one too many tacks and slipped back, into the bunch and Mimi managed a nail bitingly close finish in the top ten.

Jo and Milo were close to the top ten at the gate, Milo went right into oblivion and an OCS and Jo went left and finished about 8th in another close race.

The wind at this time was about 2 knots!

Then the wind came from the south west and race 3a started with Matt and Jamie, doing well off the start, the race was canned, at the windward mark with both doing well.
Race 3b started but was canned too.
Then we noticed that the wind was starting to come from the north west , a yacht onthe north shore was heeled well over, and the cloud darkened and the rain started, then it got quite windy and the vis disappeared. The rain was really heavy.

The wind then dropped so the race officer started race 3a again, Jamie and Matt had good starts, and then half way up the windward leg the wind died again so we went home 6.5 hours after going afloat.
Milo's quite of the day....' I spend my life being wet'
mimi 'excuse me are you Romanian'
Jo's quote of the day ....... 'The weather is just like at home'

Sarah's ' was it a small...... or a big .........'

Jamie's quote 'Vigo hates me'

Matt ' the winner of canned racing'

Alan, 'today it was good no?'



More news later, Alan