Conditions - Sunny/blue skies, light westerly breeze, more tide than wind.

Race 6

4 GK24's – Ghengis Khan, Graphik, Gulf Kilo and Scallywag - turned out on this sunny April morning to compete against 3 other boats in the PSC Club Class. After drifting around for half an hour waiting for the breeze to build it was all action stations once the Committee Boat lowered the AP flag and displayed the course. The course was a triangle - an upwind beat for approx. 2 miles to Royal Albert (just off Gilkicker) and then a downwind leg to the Outer Spit Cardinal and then a reach-tack back to the finish at the original start line.

All boats made a clean start and headed off on port tack towards Haslar Wall to avoid the worst of the east going tide. Scallywag established a lead hotly pursued by Genghis, followed by Gulf Kilo and Graphik. Scallywag and Genghis closed in on Haslar Wall and tacked and tacked on to starboard in about 7ft of water. Slowly the fleet punched their way up to the top mark – Scally round first followed by Genghis, Gulf Kilo and Graphik. A rare photo opportunity was missed here by Beken with 4 GK24 flying their spinnakers down towards the leeward mark. This was the first time that the skipper hoisted his kite on Graphik and loved it so much that he happily sailed on passed the leeward mark and was last seen heading to Brighton. The result of this race between the GK's was Scallywag - 1st, Genghis 2 nd , Gulf Kilo 3 rd and Graphik still heading east.

Race 7

The second race of the day will be remembered not for it's start but for it's finish! By now the wind had dropped off to a fluky westerly force 2. The Race Officer therefore shortened the course sending boats off to North Sturbridge cardinal for the windward leg followed by a downwind leg to a finish line close to the start line.

All GK's got a clean start and settled down in the light winds for the long, slow tack to the top mark - light-wind sailing tactics were the order of the day to keep the boat sailing between 2 and 4 knots. Scallywag tacked at Haslar Wall first to make for North Sturbridge but both Genghis and Gulf Kilo played their master strokes by holding on and tacking at the very last second within 100 yards of Haslar Wall. The result was that they were able to establish a lead over Scallywag and they both reached the top mark well ahead leaving Scallywag 30 boat lengths behind.

By now, the wind dropped to a Force 1 and less. Boats, with spinnakers up, were drifting slowly being taken down by the tide to the finish line. You would think that the race was over given the distance between Genghis, Gulf and Scallywag. However, the lead boats appeared to stop dead in the Force 0 enabling the following boats to slowly catch up.

Once the helm of Scallywag could see that there was a slight chance of perhaps catching, he ordered for all bags and beers to be thrown overboard. By now the Club Class boats had caught up with Classes 1 & 2 boats which added to the numbers of boats converging towards the finish line all at the same time. Approx. 12 boats, with their spinnakers up, sailed/drifted across the line together within touching distance of each other. The finish was one of the most slowest yet closest, exciting and colourful ones you could image – one not to forget!

The results - Genghis Khan 1 st , Gulf Kilo 2 nd and Scallywag 3 rd , Graphik closing in on Brighton.

Results

For another race report see - www.duffs.net/OMK/2005_spring_parhelion.htm