Where is the wind coming from? What wind?
The last race in the RSYC Spring Series was a challenge for both the race committee and the competitors alike.
Light and variable would have been the forecast, the polite way of saying we don’t know if there will be any wind and if there is, spin the compass to find out where it comes from. Dark skies and ominous clouds greeted everyone gathering at the start line in 10 knot SW winds.
As the 1000 start time approached the wind dropped to zero. The AP was raised in recognition. By 1030 the wind had come back in as a 7 knot easterly and the committee decided to move the start and get things going while there was still something. The multihulls got away well, IRC class 1 struggled a bit in the reducing wind and class 3 did just manage to get across the line. Thankfully as the boats progressed towards Afterbarn the wind did temporarily fill in to 7 knots as it went south. Everyone struggled to fill their kites as the wind died away completely on the downwind leg. It came back slightly as the lead boats finished the shortened courses, giving the tail enders a chance to catch up.
Hats off to the race committee as we had a good race, unlike those that turned up to race at most other fixtures in the Solent.
It was good to see David McLeman with Zoum! back out in the multihull race to give Team Eberspacher some competition. Ben Goodland on Team Eberspacher led Zoum! across the multihull start line and continued to pull out his lead throughout the race to take line honours and the class win. With three firsts Ben took the series win ahead of Simon Forbes in second place with Scooby III who finished just one point ahead of Mathew Girling’s Caiman.
The light winds gave rise to close quarter manoeuvres as class 1 made their way over the start line. Steve Sault soon built up a lead on his feather weight J80 Hoolinkazan which was ideally suited to the conditions. Hoolinkazan took line honours eight minutes ahead of the next boat and the class win. Richard House and his tuned crew brought Wacky Racer III home in second with Paul King on Serendip 4 third. The consistency of Wacky Racer III throughout the series gave them the series win, with J Arrow second and Hoolinkazan third.
The wind had almost died away completely as the class 3 gun went but with only three boats contesting the line, it wasn’t too fraught. Despite her weight Faze 3 managed to get across the line first and slowly pulled out a lead over Ellie and Fusion III. Faze 3 was clear of the other two by the windward mark as things got heated with Starboard shouts on each other, before and after the rounding. Faze 3 pulled out enough of a lead by the finish to take line honours and the class win. Fusion III slowly but surely closed on Ellie’as they approached the line but missed out by one second, although they took second on handicap. Faze 3 took the series win by one point from Fusion III who finish second with Ellie third.
Overall it has been a good series providing just about every wind condition with nothing being predictable. Southampton Water has again lived up to her record providing conditions that test even the best of the racing fraternity.
Photos: John Greenway