Geof Gibbons' E1Business/Penguin Power
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Banks Sails powers E1Business/Penguin
Power to victory at Brighton
With Beneteau 25s travelling from as far away
as Newcastle to join with the local boats a competitive fleet
was assured. All the races were Windward/Leewards two rounds
and lasted on average 35 minutes so lots of mark roundings for
early season practise were the order of the day. Fridays races
were in 8-10 knots from the SW.
E1Business/Penguin Power led the first race from gun to finish.
In the second race the Penguins were squeezed out at the committee
boat and had to circle round and restart well behind but managed
to work their way through to the lead by the finish.
With more wind - to 22 knots from WNW on Saturday the Penguins
didn't have things all their own way - upwind the No Limit team
from Newcastle and the Local SMBU were often ahead at the windward
mark but Penguin's superior boathandling in the breeze brought
them through on the downwind legs. The civilized organisation
in Brighton saw all the boats heading in for lunch after two
races and with more vicious squalls coming through the Commitee
decided to keep everyone ashore for the afternoon.
Sunday saw closer racing - with the wind now NW and going from
12-18 knots before dying to almost nothing at the end of the
last leg. The first race saw the most incidents with the Penguins
taking a 720 after an incident at the leeward mark followed
by No Limit taking a penalty after the second windward mark.
SMBU took the opportunity to sail straight and easily won the
race, No Limit and Penguin Power crossed the line alongside
each other with the northern contingent just running out the
better by about 50 cms. Hyde ho Silva then provided real entertainment
with a spectacular broach in front of the committee boat.
After two more wins for E1 Business/Penguin Power the final
race in a dying breeze saw the lead change at the final windward
mark when No Limit - who had been leading - sailed into a hole
and watched the Penguins sail around them then but on the final
run to the finish No Limit managed to keep their kite filled
and eased ahead to take the gun.
Overall results
1st:Penguin Power
2nd: No Limit
3rd: SMBU
On Monday the Beneteau 25s turned out again for a practice session
led by Jim Saltonstall. With Straight Line Speed, Starting,
Short Races, Boat Handling Drills all squeezed into 3.5 hours
on the water nobody complained of the cold. A video debrief
helped explain a lot of points and all the B25s are now promising
to practise even more to be ready for the Europeans in July.
The Brighton Marina Yacht Club laid on an excellent weekend
and all thanks to them and their sponsors for a hugely enjoyable
(if cold) weekend.
Geof Gibbons, skipper, E1Business/Penguin Power.
Back to
Reports and results 2001
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