International 14 Perry Pot at Itchenor Sailing Club - Weekend 3
by Ed FitzGerald 3 Dec 03:33 NZDT
30 November - 1 December 2024
Following a weekend blown away by Storm Bert, the Perry Pot was back again. With the forecast showing a wide range of breeze, a few members of the fleet woke up to a grey and miserable day and thought there were better things to do, like staying inside!
Fortunately Martin Jones & Harry Kennedy, Glen Truswell & Ed FitzGerald and Julien Pearson & Freddie Covell all looked past the December bliss and went for it.
Race 1 had 15 to 18 knots perfectly aligned with the harbour providing an excellent windward leeward course, the cherry on top being an incoming tide provide pan flat water.
Off the line it was Jones/Kennedy & Truswell/FitzGerald locked in a tight tacking battle up to mark 1. The former taking the windward mark in first place, however a fortuitous gust for Truswell/FitzGerald allowed them to carry more speed into the kite hoist and in the end roll over jones/kennedy before the first gybe point.
The race ended with Truswell/FitzGerald taking the win, Jones/Kennedy in second and Pearson/Covell in Third.
For race two the breeze had built to 17 to 20knots and the tide had turned. Conscious that they had to make it back to Hayling Island Pearson/Covell called time and headed home. This left race two to Jones/Kennedy vs Truswell/FitzGerald.
Off the start Jones/Kennedy again got the jump, their impressive speed personified by a mid beat weed check by Truswell/FitzGerald. They were leading round mark one, but this time they extended all the way to bottom mark.
While Truswell/FitzGerald closed on the second beat, it was still looking under control for Jones/Kennedy right up until the last bear away at the top, where for those old enough to remember they performed a perfect re-enactment of the 18ft Skiff Skilled Engineering pitch pole! This kindly allowed Truswell/FitzGerald through to claim the second win of the day and complete the day as overall winners.
Another great two races sailed in the Perry Pot series. With two more weekends to go it is still all to play for.