3rd Annual Start Racing Course Regatta at Bough Beech Sailing Club
by Richard Lambert 16 Sep 15:58 NZST
14 September 2024
Eight competitors in four different classes took to the water to do battle in the third annual staging of this regatta.
The event is designed to give people who have completed the RYA Start Racing course an exclusive "Open meeting" style competition to put into practice the racing skills they have learned on the course. A briefing, committee boat starts, the whole shebang. For most, it was last chance saloon, each competitor having only two cracks at sailing glory!
The day dawned sunny, cloudless with just a wisp of a southwesterly breeze, but by the time Race Officer Mike Warwicker had set up a trapezoid course, the wind filled in to a modest 6-7kts. Three short races each side of lunch gave our "Rookie Racers" plenty of opportunities to make their mark.
A familiar pattern started to emerge with Ian and Emma (Wanderer), and Johannes and Anna (Kestrel), using their extra sail area to take early leads, with Anne-Marie and Charlotte (Laser Radial) duking it out together with the former getting the better of the earlier exchanges, only for the latter to come into her own after the lunch break, where the wind further filled in to an ideal 8-11kts.
Sarah (Laser Radial) posted a well deserved 4th in the final race, she was admittedly a bit rusty; more likely as she is to be seen on Clipper Race yachts than her Laser these days, and it didn't help that some pesky mice had munched a few holes in her sail!
Former champion Markus (ILCA7) was always in the mix but the handicap of a lower PY number made it difficult to get a big enough advantage. Same could be said for Johannes (last year's champion) and Anna; quite often first over the line, but having to give back bucket loads of time on count back.
After all the timings were crunched, race wins were shared out between Ian and Emma (R1,2,3 & 5), Anne-Marie (R6), and Charlotte (R4), with these three crews taking to the final podium.
A fabulous day of highly competitive racing was had by all, but most importantly, our racers can finally discard their "Rookie" tag, it's now time to fly!
Overall Results:
1st Ian Gubb & Emma Preen - 6pts
2nd Anne-Marie George - 9pts
3rd Charlotte Cunliffe - 12pts
4th Johannes & Anna Hellsten - 18pts
5th Sarah Yuile - 24pts
6th Markus Kobbler - 28pts