Hamble Winter Series Day 1 - Summer Continues.
Published 09:00 on 5 Oct 2015
One could not have asked fora better start to what is arguable the best inshore regatta in the country. Glorious sunshine, for some, warm enough for shorts, and ideally a light breeze that gradually increased throughout the day. In race 1 crews were able to gain confidence in boat handling and playing the shifty breeze and so most were prepared once the wind came up for race 2. The six Sigma 38s raced in IRC 3. Persephone, in the first race, stormed across the start line, up the first beat and never looked back beating With Alacrity by just over three minutes and also finished second in IRC 3. Light came in third followed by Marta and less than a minute later Paracelsus. In race 2 Light gave Persephone a little bit more to think about with the lead changing quite a few time. In the end Persephone's dominance prevailed to take another win, followed by Light and then With Alacrity.
Garmin Hamble Winter 4.10.15 -Races 1 and 2 – Report from Persephone
So this year, Sigma 38's are outnumbered by another hardy Thomas designed class, the Impalas! How did that happen!? Seems that might not be the case for long though as I am reliably informed of the imminent return of Kindred Spirit and Vitesse to the fray!
Anyway, in 2015 we are racing in IRC3. This gives us an opportunity not only to enjoy the racing amongst ourselves but also see how we do against some other very well sailed boats…Blackjack, the J97 and Jeronimo…to name but 2. Our team for the day included Karen, recovering from her wrist injury to control the "pit". Tim was tactician / float and Marko trimmed the main. Then Katie on trim and Gus at mast were complemented by Justin, a refugee from the Pandas, and who ably dominated the pointy end.
We wanted the pin end, left, left... as the bias on the line was pretty marked. Wind was about 8 knots and the tide was carrying us over the line. The overall strategy, though, was to get to the right hand side and into deeper water off the Eastern edge of the Bramble bank. At 1 minute and 20 seconds to go we were early but in a good position, so tacked and gybed on the spot to recycle, and "burn" time, before sailing for max speed on the starboard layline for the pin. With Alacrity were quite a bit further left, also seeking the pin end but as we were sailing a little "thin" we were certain that there was no way she could get up to the line without tacking. We won the pin and were away at full speed, leaving several others sorting themselves out and getting up to speed. 2 J/97's were with us though. When we tacked we crossed both of them, with Blackjack electing to tack on to port shortly afterwards.
We felt good on port, though initially, the fleet on the left looked happy too. Perhaps there was a shade of a left shift as we made our way up there which gave that impression. Our depth was increasing, though… and with it our SOG. We figured that the right would pay, tide was better and the forecast indicated a shift to the SE during the course of the morning too. Having ignored a couple of oscillations in hunt of the tidal gain, there were a couple of later shifts that we began to need in order to get up to the mark and we matched Blackjack for speed and shift response, though not on corrected time (we give her time) and rounded the windward mark about a boatlength behind her, and a boatlength and a half ahead of Windjammer, the other J97.
Downwind, against the tide, we elected to stay slightly high of the line for better speed and not a lot changed, though we managed to keep pace with the J97s, slightly extending on the one behind us as we gybed into the bottom mark. Light and WA were having some fun, but a fair way back already, so we concentrated our efforts on a decent IRC performance.
The second beat was a case of repeating the plan. We had good pace and maintained our position. About ¾ of the way up the beat, a significant right shift came through (on forecast!) and brought us immediately to the starboard layline. We were slightly cursing the leg itself for not being longer, as it would have definitely put some time between us and Blackjack, to the left of us. It certainly allowed us to stretch our legs on Windjammer, and the remainder of IRC3. A case of 'the rich get richer' as the boats that led out to the right got the shift first. As it happened, we were in a "fat and fast" mode… and Blackjack were able to lay the mark in a full upwind mode. The distance between us had remained identical. The right shift turned the bear away set, into a 'bear away set early gybe', we gained separation from Blackjack, who gybed their assymetric and came into the leeward mark just ahead but from the right. She hardened up for a windward leg finish but the line was more of a fetch away. We eased sheets and dashed for it, just squeaking our nose over the line for a bullet on the water. But a solid 2nd on corrected time.
Race 2, was in a little more pressure. We were reading 11 to 14 knots and the wind had held right. Tim put a turn or two on the rig to perfect the set up and we were ready. The start was another strong pin end bias. We lined up a tad early to leeward of Mefisto with her sails flapping and cruising down the line. We needed a little space beneath us, so held her up a little, then with 12 seconds to go, powered up and sailed for the pin. With Alacrity were down there again, as were Light, and presumably Marta (not seen but who had politely informed us that they would be sailing with us for the second race). WA wanted the start just a little too much and were over by less than half a boatlength (it looked like a tack at the pin?). We were about right and pleased with our efforts. We tacked to clear ahead of the omnipresent Blackjack. Light were to the left of us, and after their starts, WA and Mefisto were forced to head hard right. We played the middle, and reached the top mark 1st, but with boats very close behind. We were compromised down the run as Blackjack, Jeronimo?, and Light all had us covered. WA gybed away early, and were to the left of us in clear breeze. We were prevented by Light from gybing, and trapped in no breeze under the two J's. As Light tried to press their advantage on pace, we climbed and she elected to pass to lee…always tricky, After trying an interesting luff, having come from astern, Tim reminded them of the rule and eventually she gybed off to play with WA. Eventually passing behind her. All of that was complicated by a ship coming out of the North Channel!
We made a slight mistake in the timing of our drop. It was one of those starboard roundings with the call "jib up, pole off, human guy, kite down left at the mark" and white sail gybe onto close hauled on starboard. We misread the strength of the tide against and started the whole manoevre arguably a minute too early. WA were storming up behind us and we lost pace, though we were safely within 3 boatlength zone. From somewhere on WA came a shout of 2 boatlengths, though! (Or did we mis-hear?) It worked for us, but at the possible expense of a couple of boatlengths, which we all know, you cannot give the excellent team on WA! Up to windward again, we accelerated away and repeated the windward strategy, loose covering With Alacrity and trying to keep Light controlled as well, essentially staying in the middle of them – expecting a steady breeze and for us all to be similar on pace. Light did very well though and came through to cross ahead – they must have seen a left shift that we didn't, as we split with them to the right, halfway up the beat. We did, however, plan a port layline approach, with a lot of boats picking out the starboard lay from quite early on. The mark was a very large Cardinal (the author is the driver and has no idea where we were on the Solent) Light, coming in on starboard with her spinnaker pole set, possibly overstood by half a length and we were able to tack in front and to lee of her and use the strong weather bound tide to slip around just in front… or all square? We held her up for a length or two, then bore away with an excellent kite hoist.
Now the name of the game was speed, speed, speed, with trimming being the main interest. Somehow through Katie, Tim, Karen and Marko working as a unit, we managed to extend by about 3 lengths and gain 5 lengths to leeward on Light. This allowed us to speed up into the starboard rounding leeward mark as she slowed down to get to the buoy.
We were in touch with Blackjack and Upstart too. A nice beat to the finish and a port tack approach to the line with a "shoot" through the line saved us a few seconds on corrected, but not quite enough to beat either of them.
Of the Sigma 38's, Light were a well deserved second and WA third.
Overall, a cracking day out on the water. We had water, sunshine and quite enough wind, with that interesting easterly dimension which can offer so much in terms of shifts and passing opportunities.
Thank you to all the crew. Great fun.
See you all out there next Sunday.
NRG
Related
- Garmin Hamble Winter Series 2015 (4 October 2015)
Last updated 10:12 on 6 October 2015