PYRA Spring Regatta [Posted by Ian on Tue 3rd May 05]

After half a days work on the boat, including putting on the new H2O Sports sponsorship stickers, we were raring to go for the Spring Regatta. This weekend saw two days of racing in an 'open coaching' format, with commentary through the starts and on-the-water videoing and advice.

We all meet on the boat on Saturday at 0900 ready for a good day's sail, only to be disappointed by the weather... thick fog. Struggling to see the other side of the marina, we sat on the boat eating bacon butties that Georgie had made (thanks!). We ventured out of the marina into thickening fog, losing sight of the channel markers astern before we could see the next ones ahead. The ODD wisely held the fleet inside the harbour, rather then going out through the entrance and getting lost in the bay, so we all picked up moorings or rafted up in the vicinity of Bell Buoy, unable to see across the channel to Brownsea or Royal Motor.

After waiting in the cold and damp for a couple of hours the fog seemed to begin to lift slightly, but it was not long before the wind died completely and it thickened again so the OOD sent us home for a beer and lunch. As luck would have it, by the time we got back to the marina reports were that the fog was lifting from the east. After a short lunch we were sent out again to go racing, we found our way out to the bay and with a few hundred meters visibility it looked like we were going to get a race in.

The first race was a windward leeward, probably around 1nm apart, with the committee boat around half way up. Unfortunately half way up the beat the fog came back in really thick, we could not see any of the marks or the other competitors. We found the windward mark, converging with Effusion, Deity, and Mistress, and headed down the run, gybing away to clear our wind from the larger boats. The wind became very light, as we ghosted along trying to keep pressure in the kite, the others in sight, and praying that the GPS was sending us in the right direction! Luckily we passed close to the committee boat, and logged its position, though in less than 50m visibility seeing anything wasn’t easy! Luck wasn’t with us at the leeward mark, as it was spotted much higher than expected. A close reach took us into the mark, rounding fourth, and as the wind had shifted we couldn’t gain on the drag-drift back up the "beat". We could just about make out a RIB stationed half way down the finish line, and scored a 2nd on corrected time. A slightly frustrating race, but it could have been a lot worse... many boats didn’t make it around the course.

Clearly there was no chance of any more racing, so we were sent in for the day, thankfully with our radar/chartplotter equipped mother-ship leading the way. After negotiating the entrance, we rounded North Haven Beacon and came through the edge of the thick blanket fog into a clear and sunny harbour! We all enjoyed the late afternoon sunshine in the marina, with fish and chips on the boat having wine and beers, before going to the club for an evening of live music and much merriment!

Sunday saw another early start, and a few sore heads (mentioning no names!). Some more of Georgies bacon butties and a good breeze blew the cobwebs away as we motored out to the start in the bay, it looked like there was going to be a good days sailing! We started the race and as we got to the windward mark the wind died away. We rounded first and reached our way down wind, managing to keep ahead of the fleet. As we rounded and headed to the finish the wind died to only a couple of knots. We crossed the line doing 0.8kt, though had done enough to win the race. Unfortunately in the very light conditions, only three boats managed to make it to the line within the 20 minute limit from the first finisher.

Soon after this cut-off a good sea breeze began to fill in, about 100 degrees from where the wind started in the morning. The building breeze caught up with the back of those fleets still racing, turning their results upside down.

The 3rd race was a good one for us, with the wind up we were flying. We held a good lead up the beats, and surfed our way downhill to take another 1st.

In the 4th and final race we changed to the No2 as the wind was still building. The beat was off to the right hand side of the course, and at the top mark we had to follow Mistress in which did not help our rounding. We tried most things downwind, though with her huge spinnaker we could not pass them before the leeward mark. Back upwind we were catching them all the time, and we were going overtake them. With the course shortened to one round, we had to tack for the line and with a good tack we thought that we would have them. Unfortunately they had overstood slightly, and were reaching into the line. With us hard on the wind, they just managed to go over the top of us to get 1st, leaving us to take 2nd on corrected time.

On the motor in we were feeling pretty good about things as we thought our score was two 1st and two 2nds, though we had to wait till we got in to be sure. After a video-debrief and some coaching tips from Jim, the prize giving was held, where we not only picked up the silverware and some bubbly for winning our class, but were also presented with a shiny new barometer for 1st over all in IRC. We were really pleased to be the best boat out there, a rewarding boost for our efforts in our young campaign.

Tuesday nights carry on through the year, where we will continue to take on the bigger boys in IRC1, and over the late May bank holiday we hope for a repeat of this weekend's success as we compete in the Parkstone Regatta.

PS -- Check out the pictures in the gallery.

 

[ News index ]