RCYC Cruiser Fleet   –  Swallowtail Race and evening meal  –  Saturday 21^st May 2022.

A course was set to include the Swallowtail West Cardinal buoy.  With a Force 3 WSW wind forecast for the duration of the race we needed a little more pressure to avoid shortening the course but this proved illusive.   With ‘gusts’ peaking at 8 knots the course was reduced to Buxey No2 returning to finish on the RCYC line.

The dead run out of the Crouch made for interesting comparisons of downwind sails.  ‘Otra Vez’ led from start to finish with her symmetrical spinnaker proving the best sail for the conditions on the east bound leg.   ‘JaKaBe’ did well to keep her ‘Code 0/D’ headsail goose-winged without a pole whilst ‘Lucy Lee’ and ‘Coco’ followed, experimenting with every tactic to keep their asymmetric spinnakers full against what was by now a strong flood tide.  A pleasant beat back to the clubhouse did nothing to change the running order.

It was generally agreed that we all had a pleasant sail with some good practice should there be similar conditions during Burnham Week.

Many thanks to George Winder who provided the Committee Boat start and to Ian Keam-George who calculated the NHC handicap results.

Motor Cruisers ‘Boscalina’ (Andy & Gina Wood-Hill) and ‘Tamara’ (Harry and Leslie Bird) journeyed out of the river with the fleet later contributing to the banter on the Cruiser WhatsApp group, maybe next time with a few knots of extra wind it will be rather more of a spectacle.

In the evening members of the cruiser fleet met at the club to enjoy the ‘Curry Night’ catering and Ian Keam-George presented the Swallowtail Trophy to Bethan Prestwich who helmed ‘Otra Vez’ to Line honours and a well deserved victory on handicap.

1^st           Otra Vez              Beneteau 36.7 First         Bethan Prestwich and Family       E-3:06:22  C-3:08:22

2^nd          JaKaBe                 Jeanneau 479                    Hutton-Penmans and crew          E-3:25:55  C-3:22:10

3^rd          Lucy Lee              Dehler 34                           Keam-George Family                      E-3:46:46  C-3:43:00

4^th          Coco                     Jeanneau 33i                     David Page & Paul Van Damme   E-4:27:40  C-4:05:45

E = Elapsed          C = Corrected

Steve Barham  –  Cruiser Fleet Captain.

24^th May 2022

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