Day 2: RORC Easter Challenge 6th-8th April 2012
Saturday 7 April 2012: James Boyd
Today proved a difficult one for both competitors and race officials alike at the
RORC Easter Challenge.
Credit: Paul Wyeth/www.pwpictures.com
Under a grey overcast sky, race three of the series got underway on time in light
breeze, but on the second beat the wind turned inside out, causing the race to be
shortened, finishing at the end of that leg. After this the wind resolutely failed
to return, causing today's final two races to be cancelled.
In IRC One, 2010 Commodores' Cup winner Anthony O'Leary and his silver Ker 39 Antix
won today's race. "We had a good start at the pin," the Irishman described it. "We
got a little jump on our group of boats, we just rounded the top mark ahead of them.
It just came and went all the way down the run and as we came around the bottom
mark, the breeze had swung more to the west which hurt the guys ahead of us, while
we were well ahead of our group anyway."
Dutchman Piet Vroon and his 2010 RORC Yacht of the Year, Tonnerre, were looking
good at the end of the run, having overhauled the Farr 52 Toe in the Water. Unfortunately
she and Toe In the Water lost out on the right side of the next beat as the breeze
backed left. "At one stage, we were looking good, but we were nowhere at the finish,"
admitted Vroon. "It is not really representative of the sport to operate in such
varying wind."
First to come in on the new breeze and hoist their kites upwind was the Farr 45
Espresso Martini (making up for her grounding yesterday) and she ended up being
first home, followed in by Jonathan Goring's Ker 40 Keronimo, these two beating
the two biggest boats in the RORC Easter Challenge fleet to the finish line on the
water.
"When they [Espresso Martini] went around the leeward mark, the wind went left and
they could reach to the finish," explained Brian Thompson, helmsman on Toe in The
Water. "Anyone ahead of her was way off to leeward and hadn't made that much distance.
The wind went maybe 90deg to the left. But it was good to get one race in and everyone
was happy to come in early."
Overall leader in IRC One is now Michael Bartholomew's King 40 Tokoloshe, six points
ahead of Keronimo.
In IRC Two Jim Macgregor and his Elan 410 Premier Flair have hung on to their overall
lead after today's race, now just a point ahead of Niall Dowling's new J/111 Jazzband,
although today's race was won by Joopster, Neil Kipling's J/122.
"The bias was swinging at the start and we were going for the pin end and then the
bias went 10deg the other way, so we went back to the committee boat," Jim Macgregor
described his start. "We weren't going fast at the gun, but we were going in the
right direction and we spotted the pressure up on the left and those that went
right lost on the first beat." Premier Flair led around the top mark and held on
during the run.
On the second beat, matters were made all the more challenging for Premier Flair
as there was a tide line just short of the weather mark. "There was east-going
tide approaching and then for the last 50 yards, definite west-going tide," Macgregor
continued. "What became a good layline suddenly became a bad layline...so another
two tacks, but it was the same for everyone."
Finishing fourth today, Macgregor adds that he is finding the RORC Easter Challenge
a good gauge of the competition lining up soon for the British team's trials for
the Brewin Dolphin Commodores' Cup.
Elsewhere Peter Morton on his Mat1010 won today's race in IRC Three to take the
lead from the British Keelboat Academy squad sailing David Aisher's J/109, Yeoman
of Wight. In IRC Four A Grant Gordon and his J/97 Fever continued her unbroken run
of bullets as did Nigel Biggs' MG30 Checkmate XV in IRC Four B. However in the J/80
one design class, Rachel Woods' Jumblesail won today's race breaking Rob Larke's
previously perfect scoreline on J2X.
Round the world navigator Steve Hayles, racing with the British Keelboat Academy
on the Farr 45 Kolga, felt that the race committee had made the right call to send
the fleet home mid-afternoon.
"It was a bit confusing," he said of today's situation. "It wasn't really a sea
breeze, there just wasn't much gradient about, so a bit of breeze funnels up the
western Solent at 270deg, it funnels down Southampton Water and it comes off the
north shore, so all it takes is a slight change in balance..."
But it was really the tide turning that finally killed the wind altogether today.
"In theory that should have built the breeze a little, but I think it just held
it back. To can it was the right thing to do."
As to tomorrow, Hayles (who also runs the weather forecasting company GRIB.US) says:
"We hope it will go southwesterly...I was hopeful yesterday, but I'm not today.
There is a bit of southwesterly out there, it is just whether it pushes up here.
It could be the same again. I am a little more hopeful tomorrow. If it starts more
left it will pull left."
Two races are scheduled for tomorrow with the first start due at 1000.
For results and more information go to: http://www.rorc.org/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001b3RafEcA-q1uOri8hYcoEDsr0f6-Cn3hQuOFuHYe_9_Dhia-xEMp77TjNh4InYsUDpdAih_JR1AYVrywnsgi2EgtClSnHeexlC9OgAG0mm0=]
IMAGES: Credit: Paul Wyeth www.pwpictures.com
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