2007 Race Reports

Race 15 - Poole to Cowes Race

(Pictures from Electra, Class 5)

Report from Electra, Class 5

WIND! Clear air was the objective and so Electra sailed along the line to the pin-end with the intention of being windward boat just after the start. This put Electra just behind Electron and with spinnakers hoisted a wonderful luffing match ensued. Electron doesn't give up easily, but we just clawed ahead. This then provided the crew of Electra with the fantastic spectacle of a luffing match between Tai Pan, Alchemist, Xarifa and Electron.

With an eye on the track, the boats were gradually switching tactics and heading straight for North Head buoy. Picking our moment to bear away and allow Alchemist and Xarifa to keep luffing above us, we had a glorious sail with the occasional surfing wave and 25 knots gusts keeping us entertained - what a difference to yesterday!

A clean drop at North Head and then the reach to Hurst Castle still had Electra in the lead, but through the chop we stood on too far in our quest for a good wind angle and this left us too high and out of the tide. Sailing by the lee in 25 knots was proving a little too close for comfort and so we resigned ourselves to a couple gybes and rejoined the fleet, still ahead but only just. Finding ourselves out of the strongest tide again we gybed back onto port and this time passed just to the stern of Electron. But Electra was now back in the grove and a final gybe back for Gurnard had her back in the lead. With lots of smiling faces on the crew, we screamed past Gurnard even beating the committee to the finish line ;-) What a great last outing!

Report from Whistler, Class 5

After the usual rummage through the streets of Poole in search of a restaurant with a table, and a few glasses of rum with Tai Pan, Sal's initiative in tracking down a mountain of bacon sarnies was much appreciated!We had a few last minute kit changes - but sensibly opted for the heavier sheets and reaching kite just before the start - and powered round the Committee Vessel with un-Whistler-like promptness before settling down to drag race to North Head. Electra was out in front and pretty much the same pack as before on her heels. Tai Pan lost out in a luffing match with Electron, while we kept low and out of the way. We went back to whites at North Head before changing back to the heavy kite once through the overfalls at Hurst. From there on we were pretty much head to head with Xarifa all the way to the line - often at a distance that would have caused rebuke at a school disco!

Slightly ahead Electra and Electron gybed out from the shore and back again whilst we managed to sail deep and make some ground - but not enough to get through before the line.

A great sail back and a fitting end to the inshore season - cheers!

Report from Tearaway Too, Class 3

Brilliant! No fog like last year, wind forecast for a decent breeze and a great decision to use the shorter course and go straight back to Cowes.

Leaving the marina in plenty of time to go out round Hook buoy we eyed up the start, pointed the bowsprit at North Head and set the running kite for a fast sail back home. A drag race with no real tactics to worry about is a bit of a handicap lottery. The lighter boats were surfing on the gusts and gaining a few boat lengths. The heavier boats gained a bit with a bigger waterline. Swan Valhalla looked magnificent with main, mizzen, kite and mizzen blooper thingy that we don't know the name for. It probably kept all the crew busy and made up for their retirement on Saturday.

We all seemed to arrive at North Head in a pack with J Fever just ahead of Azzurra, followed by us and Swallow all neck and neck. We dropped the kite to harden up a little to lay Hurst and thought Azzurra very brave to keep theirs flying. It might have worked if they hadn't been luffed by J Fever but their halliard broke instead!

As we bore away a bit, we re-hoisted in the overfalls off Hurst and the foredeck got a bit wet. So did everyone on the rail. Anyone would think we haven't been sailing before but after the benign conditions in Poole Bay it was a bit of a surprise and there was no time to get kitted up with oilies.

We headed towards Sconce and kept going past Yarmouth until we gybed across the stern of J Fever who were having a few kite problems that let us steal ahead and stay there until the finish.

What a great sail. Speeds up to just over 11 knots and sustained periods over 10. Just the right wind speed to be fun but not scary and back in time for lunch! What a difference a day makes in weather forecasting!

Thanks to everyone for the starts and finish. Where would we be without you.

Report from Just So, Class 3

Whereas yesterday it was an advantage having only five of us on board, today in the fresher conditions it definitely wasn't. The spinnaker run to North head was fantastic with winds gusting up to 18 knots.

We struggled on the kite drop at North Head with only one person free to pull in the kite and managed to do a bit of trawling and lost some time. No damage though.

So, once round Hurst it was back up with the kite and only half a dozen gybes to the finish. A really enjoyable race.