14/03 1st Spring Series Report

The day started with a brisk westerly force 4/5. Uproar started with 6 boats on the line. Flying a number two and full main.

Crew: Nigel – Helm,  Bryan- Main,  Henry – Trimmer,  Stuart – Trimmer,  Natasha – Pit,  Mark – Bow.

All the boats were a bit late with Uproar taking the middle of the line in a good position. The two bigger boats, ‘Amethyst’ (Elan 40)  and ‘Deity’ (Dehler 37) quickly pulled in front below Uproar on a tight reach. Shebeen took the box end and chose to take a broader reach down to the mark. Uproar took third position and pulled away from the rest of the fleet. Uproar rounded Hutchins still in third. The next leg was a two sail reach for Uproar but Shebean and the Beneteu 260 hoised their kites and started to make ground on Uproar. Shebean overtook the 260 but once Uproar got round 28 bouy and hoisted the kite we began to make the distance back up and pull away further. Uproar did a good gybe round glover for a broad reach down too bell mark where Uproar dropped its kite with a few issues but didn’t loose too much ground, still third we were on a beat to glover gate.

The wind was incredibly shifty and Uproar was very powered up at times and very underpowered in the lulls with just the number two. Shebeen was carrying a much larger sail plan and began to make up ground. Uproar was by this time far in front and rounded glover gate and began another beat to stakes where Shebeen continued to reel us in until we rounded stakes and then had a very tight reach through the line and back up to Hamish where we begun a hoist but failed as the kite gear had been rigged wrong. We were a safe distance in front of Shebeen so we left it and two sail reached back through the line and finished third on the water behind the Elan 40 and Dehler 37.

We later found that we were second on corrected time behind Shebeen. We did well for our first race although slickness was not a strong point for us, this will come with practise, I hope!

Henry