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Hamble River SC Wednesday Night Series - Series A Race 2 13th May 2015

Published 11:26 on 18 May 2015

From one extreme to another as race 1 of the A series was cancelled due to too much wind and race 2 last night looked barely viable due to too little wind! Kathy Smalley is back for the A series as Race Officer and the committee boat headed out to Bald Head whilst avoiding the overturned powerboat en route. The SE steadily varied between insufficient and just enough knots and a course was set with the ability to shorten being the driving force of the game plan. The various fleets got laps of a windward mark of different lengths with the leeward mark at Hamble Point. None of the XODs managed to pick up a lift and X13 Mischief (Wilson, Wilson & Neale) were the only boat in the fleet in the starting area as the start sequence commenced . The binoculars confirmed the slow progress of the rest of the fleet so unusually an AP went up and the XODs were moved to the end of the sequence to allow them time to arrive.

With so little wind nothing happened very fast on any of the starts and all lines were clear. Starfall (Adrian Hull) persevered to make it across the line despite appearing to sail into a hole in the wind , what little there was. XOD Kathleen ( MOSS Fitzgerald) made the start line with 1 second to spare before time out although the crew were clearly worried by the committee boat starting up to get down to Hamble Point to finish the leading boats. However the bar beckoned and ,after starting ,Kathleen then retired and headed home . Cockleshell ( Jonty Sherwill) on her first outing in the series this year headed right in shore and appeared to park up during the remaining class starts. Once the fleet was away and the committee boat turned its attention back to the course Cockleshell was not only up and moving but well in front of the rest of the entire fleet. As a relative term the wind picked up about a knot which enabled the fleet to get to the windward mark and kite back down to Hamble Point. Kathy Smalley sensibly shortened course here, a decision unanimously approved back in the clubhouse afterwards.

Cockleshell led the fleet into the finish line to take Class 3 with a resounding lead with Fritha in second place and Forethought of Gosport ( Mike James ) in third under Club and Starfall under NHC. A leading performance was similarly repeated by Midnight Cowboy ( Steph Merry) in Class 1 with La Nef ( john Noe) in second place and Wee Bear (Chudziak, Horner & Malas) in third. Mischief, having hung around for so long, reaped her reward with a 1st in the XOD fleet followed by Shri and Satu whilst Needlework (Patrick Pymm & Pewter Smith) took Class 2 followed by Imptish (Barney Smith)and Two Frank (Sam Flint & Olly Love) with Needlework swapping into third under NHC.

Wednesday night racing continues next week . Racing is free for all members of Hamble River Sailing Club with annual membership costing less than many other series entry fees. New members are welcome to come and try out an evening race for free and details of the full activities, training courses and events of the Club are on the Hamble River SC website.

Article Lis Robinson
Photos IMG 20150513 "X13 Mischief " Paul Howard
Photos IMG 0675 "Going Home" Bertrand Malas