The final round of this year’s RCYC Snow Globe Series delivered a very different flavour from recent weeks. Gone were the howling gusts and survival sailing; instead, sailors were greeted by sunshine, light airs and a testing tactical challenge, a fitting way to round off the series.

Despite modest numbers on the water, the day had a real sense of occasion, helped by several guest appearances. It was great to see James Van Schagen joining the fleet as a BSC representative, hopefully encouraging more visiting sailors in the future.

Fast Micky Wright also made his first dinghy appearance of the year, swapping his Squib for a Laser, while Ant Law acted as Race Officer and joined Tammy and Jules in running the Race Box. On the safety side, Shelle Jones kindly stepped in to assist Stephen Carty.

After an hour’s postponement, a gentle breeze finally filled in and racing got underway. A compact fleet of six Lasers and a single RS Aero lined up on the full club line. The race team set a course sending sailors to No. 7 before heading down to a floating versa dock on the north shore, setting the scene for close racing and plenty of place changes.

Race 1
The opening race proved highly tactical from the outset, with sailors weighing up wind strength against tide. Choosing whether to sail further for better breeze or take a shorter route with more tide was the key decision.

At the front, Adam Prior and James HP stretched away, while Nick Peel was sailing strongly until an abrupt meeting with the concrete block near the RCYC pontoon brought his charge to a sudden halt. This allowed Micky through, accompanied by the helpful commentary from James HP of “You can’t park there, mate.”

The race was won by Adam Prior, with James HP second and Micky Wright taking a well-earned third.

Race 2
By the second race the breeze had built slightly, enough for some actual hiking, and had shifted further south, bringing wind shifts and tactics firmly into play. Adam, James Van Schagen and Keith rounded the first mark together, with the remaining fleet also remaining tightly packed.

James HP worked his way through on the beat back to No. 7 by finding better pressure and less tide, eventually taking the win ahead of Adam, an impressive recovery considering he had initially been heading in the wrong direction at the start! Behind them, Keith, Micky and Nick enjoyed a particularly entertaining battle, swapping places on every lap, with the final run to the versa dock delivering a nail-biting finish.

The race also delivered some unexpected entertainment at the leeward end of the course. Mid race the owner of the versa dock casually moved the leeward mark, prompting some amusement in the Race Box and a few anxious glances from the fleet as to whether anyone might round the wrong mooring.

In the battle for the leeward mark, Keith gave James Van Schagen a slightly too friendly nudge. Keith promptly took his penalty turn impressively without losing much ground.

The race was won by James HP, with Adam Prior second and Keith Gilmore third.

A special mention goes to Florence Fisher, once again flying the flag for the Otter fleet and finishing both races with impressive perseverance in a highly competitive group.

After racing, sailors enjoyed a hearty Sailors’ Special goulash, followed by the presentation of series prizes.

With the final races completed, the overall Snow Globe standings were confirmed

1st – James HP
2nd – Keith Gilmore
3rd – Adam Prior

A huge congratulations to James HP for an outstanding and consistent performance across all 12 races.

Many thanks to the Race Box team, safety crews, and everyone who helped make the final weekend and the entire Snow Globe Series so enjoyable. A great end to the series, sunshine, close racing and excellent post-racing entertainment.

Next up: don’t forget the Icicle Race on 27 December, the perfect way to help burn off the Christmas excess!

RCYC Icicle Race