Conwy Fife One Design 'A' Series Race 16 at Royal Anglesey Yacht Club
by Mike Hardie 31 Jul 2022 10:22 PDT
30 July 2022
Conwy Fife One Design 2022 'A' Series race 16 © Ian Bradley
With Menai Strait Regattas starting on Monday it was a last chance to fine tune the boats before the festivities commences. With 22 boats now on the water, it should be a cracking fortnight, free from the pressures of the 'A' series.
Thirteen Fifes came out to play (the rest of the fleet were presumably resting, not wishing to peak to soon!). With a decent SW breeze and little tide to worry about at the start, Nick, our Master of Ceremonies for the day, set course 2, which gave us a short (some would say too short) beat to B12 as our first challenge. The start was excellent and we were all congratulating ourselves on getting such a blinding start, or maybe we all had our collective eyes shut as it would seem most of the front runners were OCS, leading to the first general recall this season. This allowed the 'junior' fleet of MSOD' to start first, an opportunity missed by those not paying attention to the flags!
The second Fife start was better behaved and with the fleet spread along the line it was a sprint to B12. 1 (Martin, Catherine & Harry) led around followed closely by 37 (Rhys, Rowan & Helen) and 38 (Mike & Steve) who all managed to avoid the inevitable squabbling that rounding B12 usually causes. 5 (Andy, Young Tabitha & Pete), 32 (Alistair, Ioan and the mystery lady) were next round followed by the chasing pack.
The long run down to B6 saw 1 and 5 move clear of the fleet, with 32 and 37 fighting it out for 3rd. 7 (Howard & Leo) and 35, (Hugo, Sasha & Stevie) rounded next with the fleet bunched up behind. As the tide had now turned, the long port tack to the Anglesey shore was initially the favoured option. 38, momentarily distracted by the previously mentioned 'fine tuning' very nearly T boned 7 who was on Starboard at the time, leading to the circles of shame and a demotion to the back of the fleet. First 15 (Tak & Dave) then 29 (Trigger, G and Cat) 42 (Family Booth) 35 and a trailing 38 tacked onto Starboard and skirted the banks all the way back to Beaumaris. By B10, 5 had taken the lead with 32 in close order behind, 42 had moved into 4th with 29 in 5th and with 7 moving back up through the fleet in 6th.
On the run to B8 all was peaceful, until 7, whose helm was so busy telling his crew who was fettling on the foredeck, what he was doing wrong, that he momentarily lost sight of 'Parker's' Perch and gave it a healthy clout with his boom, causing a rapid cessation of fettling!
Rounding B8 to the sound of shorten course, the fleet began the always tricky beat along the Anglesey shore, with much short tacking, outrageous shifts and disappointing headers all the way back. 5 held on to win from 32 by a minute, with 42 getting a well earned 3rd. After that the order was 37, 29, 7, 35, 41 (Family Yates or should that be Eights?) 38, 1, 40 (Men of Panache, but without the style and elegance of Emlyn) 39 (a returning Gavin, Dr Annika and Mother?) with 15 takin the wooden spoon.
With potentially another 7 races (and another 2 discards) to go, things are shaping up for an exciting finish to the series, results as follows (other results are available and possibly more reliable).
1 - Sian - 24pts
38 - Sard - 34pts
35 - Tarka - 36pts
29 - Gitana - 37pts
42 - Enigma - 39pts