Medway RC Laser Club Winter Series at Barton's Point Coastal Park - Week 6
by Jamie Blair 30 Jan 23:12 NZDT
28 January 2024
Following Storm Isha, which led to a postponement last week, we were greeted with wispy skies and 8 knots of breeze. 12 sailors set up to race in a SE wind. Orientation of the course put the windward mark at a point furthest point away so the beat would test eyesight and judgement for laylines and roundings.
We welcomed back Adrian Tomlinson, Phil Walker and Charles Pegram.
A starboard tack off the start was favoured and remained so for the whole of the first half. A practice race was run allowing gauge for the windward mark. One of the sailors pulled out before Race 1 and was unable race all morning.
Tim Townsend (45) and Jamie Blair (51) set the pace with Tim and Jamie swapping places with Tim taking the win. Adrian Tomlinson (30) took third. The duo of Jon Moon (84) and Tony Alexander (04) continued their own person challenge to beat each other.
Race 2 saw the benefit of a windward position at the start with Adrian securing the best start, Jamie to leeward and closely followed by Tony and Tim. In the fleet places swapped as the wind shifted between S and SE. Some boats were staying with the A rig but was not proving to be any faster than the B rig.
Race 3 saw the whole fleet with B rig and Jamie started from midline and with a favoured shift able to tack on to port as the rest of the fleet tacked and get to the windward mark in the lead. The lead extended with congestion at the windward mark allowing a win to be notched up. Adrian was second. The congestion at the windward mark on each round saw penalty turns and places lost.
Race 4 to the break (after race 7) saw Adrian take control and score three of the race wins. Tim always in the hunt with seconds and thirds. Key for the day was the starting and mark rounding, just the same for our sailors in their bigger boats. Entry to the windward mark on the port layline always proved a mistake. Leeward mark rounding was far more organised with Room being given. This mark was only feet away from the sailors and noted by the Race Team not to put the windward mark too far away!
At the break to take account of the swing in the wind both the start line and windward mark were adjusted. Adrian was leading overall with Tim in second and Tony and Jon on equal points in third.
After the break Adrian continued his winning run. Race 8 saw mark Penny (03) get it all together posting a second and Roger Gibbs a third. Jamie came back into the upper results to climb back up the leader board. Tony Alexander (04) added consistent third places and Jon likewise posted good results to continue their challenge. Charles Pegram (72) posted a PB in Race 10 with a 5th – all to play for in the weeks to come. The fleet were swapping places in all the races making a result only confirmed at the finish.
For race 14 and the last race there was no catching Adrian. Tim and Jamie were 5 points apart, Jon and Tony 2 points apart. Mark and Roger 2 points apart also, so very much a race to make every effort to achieve a good result. Adrian relaxed a bit allowing Tim to have the windward position at the start, with Jamie on his heals, followed by Jon and Roger.
Adrian won the day. Tim second, Jamie third and Jon fourth.
Our next Sunday racing is scheduled for the 4th February.
Week 6 Results:
| Pos | Sail No | Helm | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | R8 | R9 | R10 | R11 | R12 | R13 | R14 | R15 | Pts |
|---|
| 1st | 30 | Adrian Tomlinson | ‑3 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | ‑7 | 17 |
| 2nd | 45 | Tim Townsend | 1 | 4 | ‑8 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 2 | ‑8 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 38 |
| 3rd | 51 | Jamie Blair | 2 | 2 | 1 | 8 | (DNS) | 4 | (DNF) | 4 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 41 |
| 4th | 84 | Jon Moon | ‑6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 5 | ‑7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 51 |
| 5th | 4 | Tony Alexander | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | ‑7 | 7 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 7 | ‑8 | 60 |
| 6th | 3 | Mark Penny | ‑7 | 6 | ‑9 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 66 |
| 7th | 32 | Roger Gibbs | 4 | ‑11 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 7 | ‑10 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 70 |
| 8th | 62 | Spencer Pope | 8 | 7 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | (DNF) | 8.5 | ‑10 | 95.5 |
| 9th | 72 | Charles Pegram | 9 | 8 | 7 | ‑11 | 8 | 8 | 6 | ‑10 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 8.5 | 6 | 100.5 |
| 10th | 613 | Andrew Nicholls | ‑10 | ‑10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 118 |
| 11th | 76 | Bob Woolford | 11 | 9 | 11 | 9 | (DNS) | 11 | 10 | 11 | 11 | (DNF) | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | DNC | 143 |