Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales (First 31.7) |
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Amicus IR2000 Nationals
- Class 3
Heading East out of Portsmouth through
the little gap in the breakwater between the fort and land,
you arrive at the level playing-field on which racing took place
for the Amicus-sponsored IR2000 nationals. With no traffic and
little in the way of hazards and tidal streams, the race area
was a total shock after the Warsash Spring Series and Red Funnel
Easter Regatta race tracks.
The committee set a series of windward-leewards courses over
the three days, laying marks to supply accurate courses of lengths
to fit the day. The race mangement was excellent. When required,
they flew the postponement flag with seconds to go before the
start for the big boats when it was obvious that they would
be general-recalled. Though this meant we in the last start
were delayed, watching 50- and 60-foot yachts in close-quarters
starts is always going to be exciting.
For Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales, the event had put just a
little too much strain on the resources of the Checkmate Sailing
Team. Friday saw them having to take two standbys on the boat
in key positions due to work commitments not releasing key crew
members. In a steady and straight 15 knots of breeze, it was
a pure boatspeed day that saw an erratic set of results accross
the fleet. Magnum had the best of it leading from Xarifa and
Peanut.
Saturday saw similar weather but with a shiftier breeze. The
Dehler 34 Mr BoJangles had a good day, putting together two
seconds and a first to lead into the last day. Crewsaver Dickies
enjoyed the more interesting conditions but could not quite
get far enough from the Dehler, missing out on a pair of firsts
by a few seconds in the third race. Crewsaver Dickies did not
help her cause by being pushed out by Magnum at the start, though
Magnums enthusiasm was her own undoing as they were over early
and struggled to get out of the fleet to round the ends.
Going in to the last day the results were wide open, with Mr
BoJangles leading Crewsaver Dickies by one point and Peanut
and Magnum by a further point. A tense day would ensue. Race
1 saw Crewsaver Dickies and Magnum lead the fleet up the beat.
With lots of traffic from the big boat fleets, clear air was
an issue at all times and we all worked hard to find paths through
that linked with the shifts. Crossing 60-foot Swans on port
is an exciting but over-rated pastime, as is trying to stop
40-foot boats tacking below and to leeward. At the top of the
final beat Crewsaver Dickies crossed the line then endured the
agonisng wait that is the fate of the handicap racers. As the
day before, they dropped to second by a few seconds to Mr Bojangles
with Peanut coming through third.
In the last race Crewsaver Dickies crossed the fleet on port
of the start, tacked on the first shift and headed left looking
for the next shift to take them back, leaving the fleet who
had headed right. Within what felt like seconds, they were out
of breeze and stopped. The new breeze filled from the right
and when it finally arrived at Crewsaver Dickies it lifted all
the way, leaving them nearly a leg and half behind at the top
mark and out of the race. Peanut had the best race and was right
up with the larger boats at the finish to take the bullet.
Peanut's first place gave them the class win from Mr Bojangles
by one point, with Crewsaver Dickies in third, three points
behind. In such a close and hard-raced event, Jonathan Butler
and his crew sailed their Impala 28 excellently to take the
title. Five boats won races and only six points seperated first
and fifth place. Handicap racing at its best.
Peter Evans, Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales
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