E1 Business / Penguin Power (Beneteau
25) |
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Another windy Belgium European Grand Prix!
This weekend was the Belgium leg of the Beneteau
25 European Circuit. With a strong fleet (the third largest
in Europe) of Beneteau 25s, the racing was always going to be
competitive with some of the crews in their fourth year of campaigning.
The first day saw a strong breeze in the morning leading to
an hour's postponement while the committee waited for the wind
to die down.
Once racing was underway a competitive front few were swapping
positions on every tack. Close upwind sailing was then followed
by fast downwind chess games as each boat going for clear air
and good positioning at the leeward mark. With the first three
boats within 30 seconds of each other all the way around the
course and a downwind finish, it made for exciting finishes
for the committee to watch.
With the fourth race an exciting start led to the British boat
(E1 Business/Penguin Power) using an overlap on Ship Shop to
its full potential. The race ended with a protest from the GBR
crew as Ship Shop failed to keep clear. GBR then, believing
to be over the line went back around the end allowing Ship Shop
clear air and room to go on upwind. Once the GBR crew were back
upwind Ship Shop then decided to do their 720 and a protest
was lodged as the GBR crew were dismayed at the time it took
to take the penalty turns. With the hearing the next day, Ship
Shop could not afford to put a foot wrong that day or they would
lose their lead.
The next day started with light winds and looked to be a nice
light wind day but a storm front moved in just as the boats
rounded the windward mark for the first time changing from a
Force 2 - 3 to a Force 5 in a matter of seconds and increasing
the wave size dramatically. The new wind also changed in direction
allowing the top crews to show their skills as they sailed the
narrow-hulled boats at high speed on a knife-edge to the leeward
mark. The top three boats to come out well were the GBR Crew,
Javelin 1, and Ship Shop. By the end Javelin 1 were in first
place and GBR crew a close second with Ship Shop forced down
to third after a snap shackle on their halyard opened, dropping
the kite early and making a re-hoist impossible.
The second race of the day saw the GBR crew in conditions they
revel in. Even with two new crew members, David Moy and Rachel
Larman (RB). After only one day's practice on the boat, and
in high winds (up to 25 knts), they helped the Banks-Sails-rigged
boat fly and led almost all the way around, ending in a finishing
lead of more than half a leg to the second placed boat and even
further to the third. The last race again had some strong winds
and had the finishing three boats in the regatta finish in their
eventual event orders.
A close contest and exciting racing ended a competitive weekend
of racing with the fleet looking to the next event in Hamble
to give the same type of close and exciting and fast-paced racing.
1st: Ship Shop
2nd: Javelin 1
3rd: E1 Business / Penguin Power
4th: Shadow (Ship Shop 2)
5th: Javelin 2
Nick Gibbons, Penguin Power/E1 Business.
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