Shanklin Sailing Club Time Trial Series - Race 1

Pascoal Fernandez during the Shanklin Sailing Club time trial series race 1 © Liam Thom

With no official racing allowed, Shanklin set up a time trial competition using the club buoys with individual sailors taking their own times. A course was set to hopefully give a beat in any wind direction and people were allowed six days to complete the course and send their best times in. There was a 15 knot steady wind limit to keep things sensible.

The course for the first week was 1, 3, 4, Start, 5, 7 which is a left handed square starting off to the south, followed by a triangle to the north east, back towards land and then along the shore back to the finish.

Liam Thom during the Shanklin Sailing Club time trial series race 1 - photo © Pascoal Fernandez

Chris Murphy, Pascoal Fernandez and Liam Thom were rigged up in sport-mode (jib and main) at 2pm on Tuesday the 16th June. While Pascoal started promptly, Chris dilly-dallied and Liam waited for him to catch up before crossing the start line. There was a force 3 south-easterly which meant a beat on the second leg to buoy 3. Two laps were raced with Liam's faster first lap taking 31'40''. Chris was a minute behind with Pascoal on 41'.

On Thursday evening there were 6 boats ready to race at 6pm with Simon Giles just behind. The main group intended to race one lap of the time trial course and then change the course to have an informal race with a better beat. Yvonne Pike and Ian Wilkinson got the best start but the wind was fluky in-shore and Ian infringed social distancing etiquette with Yvonne at buoy 1 and had to do a penalty. Liam, again in sport mode, got ahead and eventually finished first but like the other Tuesday sailors could not improve his time. Meanwhile Ian had caught Yvonne up and gallantly persuaded her that, despite rule 18.3, she was in the wrong and should do a penalty turn for his earlier indiscretion. Ian was probably fastest on corrected time but did not think to bring a chronograph.

Simon Giles during the Shanklin Sailing Club time trial series race 1 - photo © Pascoal Fernandez

Meanwhile, Simon Giles was taking it a bit more seriously. He aborted his lap and was now rattling round in a force 4 setting a very impressive 24'47''.

On Saturday morning there were a good number of boats trying to beat Simon's time in a sunny force 4 southerly. John Shenton landed on the beach looking very pleased with his 26'25'' and Ian also came in early reporting a fastest lap of 25'32'' despite inexplicably managing to capsize.

Chris Murphy during the Shanklin Sailing Club time trial series race 1 - photo © Liam Thom

All sailors out on Saturday improved their times with those staying out the longest did best. Yvonne posted a time of 24'24'' just two seconds behind Mark Pritchard while Liam had bettered Simon's time with a 22'36'' again in sport mode.

On their last laps Simon set out in standard, mainsail only, mode a minute ahead of Liam and with the wind now perfect for going fast just below the 15 knot limit, the winning speed was likely to be set by either of these two boats. Simon set a blistering pace and Liam could not catch him despite the extra sail. Simon was the faster with 21'48'' and Liam was six seconds slower - almost a minute behind on corrected time.

A new course will be set for the next two weeks to form a series of three races.

Race 1 Results: