A light north-easterly wind and very strong tide greeted the 7 competitors who braved sunstroke and heat exhaustion. After about 20 minutes large windless areas developed across the racing area. All bar one managed to do one lap, with Pietro the first to get the hoot ahead of Nigel, but those who were sent round again ended up becalmed so Sailing Instruction 12.3 was invoked and one lap counted for all. Neil finished first on handicap which put him in the lead in the series on the same points as Nigel.

After a long delay so that Pete could complete a lap, boats could be towed back to the start, the course made smaller and the wind increase again to light, a second race was run. The boats were all unusually close to the line at the start and Neil and Robin were over the line, caught out by the back tide, and had to go back to re-start. Jake surged ahead in his second race in the RS600 and finished first on the water (but not so good on handicap). The Toppers managed to stay closer to the Lasers this time so Nigel won on handicap, with Pietro in second and Robin, who recovered quicker than Neil at the start, in third.

Overall Nigel, the only qualifier in the Slow fleet finished first in the series, with Neil second and Winner in the Fast fleet. Jason Williams in his first series came second in his Laser with Andrew Evans third in his extreme Topaz cat in third.

Results

3 Catamarans set out to race for the Gusty Trophy in suitably gusty weather. Andrew started well, with Robin not far behind, and in his Dart 18, the fastest boat on the course, he was soon in the lead. Unfortunately for him there was no one ahead to show him the way and he proceeded to miss out marks as he surged into the distance. This is not allowed so he was retired. Novices Steve and Danny C in the club Dart 16 started very late and didn’t improve on that, but at least they got round in one piece. That left Andrew as winner of the trophy, but not the race. Nigel in a Topper was well ahead on handicap.

The second race saw the cats much closer and it was neck and neck until the second leg, when Robin again tried to sail the wrong course. This time he realised his mistake and went back allowing Andrew and Steve/Danny to surge ahead, much closer this time. By the end of lap 3 Robin had caught them but as the wind dropped, the other two dropped back allowing Andrew to finish in 3rd. Nigel again took 1st place with Jason an excellent 2nd.

Overall Nigel leads the series and the slow fleet with no other slow boat able to qualify (Steve’s results now have been put back to the actual 4 boats he’s sailed in the series). In the fast fleet, Neil leads, with Jason 2nd and Andrew 3rd.

Results

Very successful pursuit race with twelve boats taking part.
Unfortunately we lost Rex before the start on the slipway as he got in to trouble and broke his centre board. Three toppers started and were well in front having completed their first lap before some of the faster boats had started. After 22 mins we had the final boat Dart15 with Sam starting.
Slowly the fleet closed up with ten minutes to go the Lasers started to overtake the Toppers. Resulting in a number of changes in the last five minutes and 80% of the fleet finishing within minutes of each other.
First mark was repositioned for the second race and the wind picked up for this race, but we had no capsizes giving the rescue boat an easy time.
Around 1200 we saw the swimmers on their way to Jackson Bay, but they were outside the sailing fleet.

Results

Less windy, but still challenging for some. 5 boats ventured out and Neil and Steve had some close racing with a win apiece.

Steve has now changed his boat of choice to a full rig Laser and lies second in the Fast Fleet, with Neil leading and Jason in third. Nigel is well ahead of everyone overall and in the Slow Fleet.

Results

The weather gods briefly smiled and seven boats set out in a gusty north westerly, that compared to recent weeks felt being positively becalmed. Race officer Bob set a triangular course with first leg parallel to the shore heading West.

Race one saw the lasers of Pete Wells and Robin Wilkinson and Nigel in the topper taking the shore side of the start line in an attempt to get to the first mark in one hit. Talking of hits Dan and Chris in the Enterprise  launched stern first into a rogue wave which smashed their transom flap , causing partial sinking and for them to miss the first race.

Back to the race start, Andrew in his Topaz got away and first to the windward mark. Pete, Robin and Jason in the lasers stayed closely grouped round the first mark and off dead downwind. On the following beat Pete capsized and lost his advantage.  Andrew headed off in front managing to get his kite up on the runs with Robin and Jason swapping places a few times. Meanwhile Futher back Nigel in stealth mode took the honours. 

Race two saw Nigel taking the offshore end of the start and everyone else making a clean getaway further inshore. Dan and  Chris were back having had pitstop assistance to fabricate a new transom flap from a discarded ‘ do not park here’ sign.  Very fetching in yellow. The wind had now dropped overall but still with some powerful gusts. Robin and Jason swapped places several times. Charles steamed around in his Scorpion, wishing he had a crew to get his kite up on the runs.

At the finish the top three were separated by just six seconds on handicap. In both races Jason clearly showing that he is a one watch, despite being new to lasers and having old style controls on his boat. Apologies if I have not recalled your race experience  …too busy trying to keep Jason at bay 

Results

When we arrived the wind was howling and the waves looked huge. Was this going to be the 3rd Summer Series racing in a row to be called off? By 2:30 it was looking as if the wind was dropping and the gusts were at the bottom end of Force 6 so six boats got ready to launch with 3 Lasers (Andy, Robin and Jason) – all opting for a Radial rig, Andrew in his Cat, Steve in his RS700 (should have opted for a Radial) and Nigel in a Topper.

Racing got underway late after the wheel fell off the Patrol Boat and some exciting launching. By now the expected decrease in wind strength had changed to an increase, with gusts at the top end of Force 6. Nigel and Andrew relished the conditions but the rest of the fleet didn’t and all ended up retiring.

The second race was abandoned as the 2 competitors remaining thought that 2 boats didn’t make a race. They hadn’t read the Sailing Instructions which clearly state that you can have a race with 2 boats, but maybe that was just an excuse…

The discards have now been applied and Nigel leads the series with Neil in 2nd and Steve (Radial) in 3rd. Early days yet; if these windy Sundays don’t continue we might get some more races in.

Results

A total of six boats turned up for what initially look like it was going to be afloat about, but in the run-up to the start, just enough of a breeze swept in for a decent start.
The fast fleet was a battle of the laser sailors, Jason testing out his brand-new purchase Csaba jury rigging a club boat with a full rig for the light conditions. Neil struck off first, with Rex and his mirror in the slow fleet the only boat to start on port. We had some wide angles to the first Windward mark but Neil’s roll racks paid off and he stuck off ahead, with Jason rounding next.

In the slow fleet Rex came unstuck with his port tack, and was drifting with the tide, meanwhile, Kaia and Pete, sharing a topper made a tenacious effort towards the Windward mark, but it was Jean who made it round in 2nd and building confidence he was soon leading the slow fleet until the end, when Rex caught and passed him on the last lap.

Race 2 began with a good start by all boats, and a bigger triangular course was set, as the breeze that filled in at the start of race 1 was now holding. Pete having swapped helming duties with his daughter struck off with the lasers to leave the mirrors in a race of their own, but it was Neil who rounded the windward mark in first, with Jason and Csaba in a close battle for second place, the topper bringing in 4th, Rex 5th and Jean not too far behind in 6th.

Results

14 Boats competed for the two trophies on offer today: The Watler Cup for the Fast fleet and the Centripump for the slow. A record turnout for the year-to-date on the windiest day of the year-to-date. So windy that some of the older members of the Laser fleet decided to race with Radial rigs! It was blowing from the north-east 20 knots, gusting to 27 knots at Nells Point.

The 2 leading Lasers (Danny and Neil – Fast Fleet) and Radials (Aran and Steve – Slow Fleet) set off in a tight knit group and stayed close for the first 2 laps while Robin and Lawrence in the Dart 18 sailed off into the distance and Nigel and Jake in Toppers stayed too close for comfort. By the third lap Danny was tiring and Neil capsized and got stuck in irons (head to wind) for several minutes allowing Danny to get ahead. Steve finished first of the group of Lasers and with an advantage of 3 seconds on handicap beat Nigel to the Centripump Cup, with Arun in third. First in the Fast Fleet and winner of the Watler Cup, was Robin in the Dart 18 – fourth overall.

Half the boats stayed to sail the second race. Steve and Neil fought it out at the front with Neil pulling ahead and finishing first on the water but behind Nigel and Steve on handicap. This time Nigel beat Steve by 3 seconds and takes the lead in the series on account of the results of the last race taking precedence if points and places are equal.

Results

Sailors were greeted with a fresh north easterly breeze veering back and forth to northerly.

Nice flat waters and lovely sunshine with the tide having turned.

Race officer took the decision to set a course with beat off the start line with a short leg to the windward (ish) mark and then a reach, run reach and beat rectangular course.

Danny P was first off the mark being chased by Steve and Arran in the lasers  and Andrew in the Topaz Cat. Andrew was clear first to the first down wind mark flying his kite all the way but the pack of lasers caught up and overtook by the end of the windward leg.

Lap two saw Pete Wells capsize right in fron of the club house, and struggling to right the beast on his own.

Meanwhile at the back Carl and Aiden were battling it out with Danny C in the topazes. Difficult decision making for some …hug the shore and keep out the tide or seek wind further out, The Topazes did the former. Steve Danny and Arran had a close fought tussle but Steve got line honours,  with Danny 3 secs ahead of Arran….or so we thought but Danny P hit the finishing buoy and lost out , and was DSQ as he chose not to do the penalty turns !

In the slow fleet Danny C was ahead of Carl by just five seconds

Race two found the race officer regretting his decision to create a windward start and had to remove the Fisrt windward mark due to lack of water . The reaching start favour the cats and Andrew shot off the line ahead of the lasers. Not for long as the sea breeze started to counter the Northerly and soon all five lasers were nicely bunched together on the down wind leg.

This was another Laser duelling race, Steve, Danny and Arran in that order and after several lead changes. In the slow fleet a nail biting finish saw Carl and Aiden stall about ten feet from the finish line with Danny C bearing down on them ! They crawled across the line 15 seconds ahead of Danny. Nail biting stuff !

Overall Steve wins the Fast fleet ahead of Danny and Neil. Carmel in a Laser Radial finishes 4th overall and wins In the Slow Fleet. There were no other qualifiers who sailed the 10 races necessary (out of 22).

Results

It was blowing F4-5 from the west southwest and only 5 boats ventured out. The two race favourites in the Fast Fleet, Steve and Danny, and the two race favourites in the Slow Fleet, Carmel and Teilo, with Andrew in his Cat to make up the numbers.

Danny had the better start and first beat and led round the first mark. Steve was following closely, but couldn’t get past until the second lap beat when his superior weight got the better of Danny. Steve pulled away but Danny held on and closed the gap in the final lap.

In the second race Steve had a slight lead over Danny at the end of the first beat but lost it on the downwind leg and regained it on the next leg. Steve pulled well ahead on the second beat and Danny was about 100m behind at the windward mark, but as the wind dropped for Steve on the downwind leg Danny came flying on a huge gust and it was neck and neck round the next mark. As Danny took the faster line and edged past Steve on the inside, Steve took risks letting his sail right out on the run, but didn’t see the next huge gust which tipped him in to a windward capsize. With the finish at the end of that lap Steve was not able to catch Danny who finished in first.

So, one first each and the Fast Fleet results remain with Danny one point behind with two races to go. Steve needs one first to win the series but if Danny gets two next week, or one and beats Steve in the last race, he takes it! Neil appears safe in third, but Robin could get the place if he does well next week.

In the Slow Fleet Carmel has enough races and points to clinch first place. Teilo needs two more races to claim the second place prize.

Results