10:18am Thursday 26th August 2010
The fourth race of the Mylor Yacht Club Falmouth Boat Construction Series took place on Friday in a fresh breeze from the south, writes Chris Davis, and, unusually this week, just eighteen yachts competed. In E fleet, Freyja (Jackie Baker) commanded the race from start to finish, winning line honours on the water, coming home over five minutes ahead of Gazelle (Andrew Nancarrow) and Otologic (Chris Horn) and nine minutes ahead of Rhapsody (Des Jones). However, once the handicaps had been factored in, Freyja's lead was reduced to just 56 seconds over Gazelle, with Rhapsody coming third.
U fleet saw some heroics on the start line with three boats aiming for port tack flyers. Khamsin (Alan Street) was safe, a couple of boat lengths up the line while Xanadu IV (Chris Bye) overlapped Mary Boon (John Cruise) and left no room at the pin buoy. Despite having to spin round to start, Mary Boon managed to get a second place behind Khamsin, with Pickwick (Peter Marsden) coming third and Xanadu fourth. This result means that Mary Boon has an unassailable lead in the series.
Regrettably the Gaffers and Shrimpers saw only one starter, John Benge in his Shrimper Grace of St Just: one or two others tested the breeze and decided not to risk their boats. Q fleet, however, saw some very close racing. Little Devil, the Fox Cub owned by Roger Browne, pipped the Sadler 26 Souchong (Colin Sadler) into second place by just three seconds on corrected time, with Rococo (Clive Hoyle) having to settle for third place despite having taken line honours on the water by some thirty seconds over Souchong.
Results. E Fleet: Freyja (Jackie Baker) 1, Gazelle (A Nancarrow) 2, Rhapsody (D Jones) 3. U Fleet: Khamsin (A Street) 1, Mary Boon (J Cruise) 2, Pickwick (P Marsden) 3. Q Fleet: Little Devil (R Browne) 1, Souchong (C Sadler) 2, Rococo (C Hoyle) 3. G/H Fleet: Grace of St Just (J Benge) 1.
The fourth race of the SKB Sails Pursuit Series was raced on Sunday afternoon under lowering skies, but this did not deter 15 boats from competing. The yachts got away at varying times, depending on their handicaps, with a target finish time of 3.45 pm. With a dying breeze ahead of incipient heavy rain it was obvious that those who started at their proper time would finish well ahead of those who preferred a more languid approach to their Sunday afternoon start line technique, and so it proved. The race was finished at St Just buoy, with the Contessa 26 Mary Boon (John Cruise) coming home first at 3.46. Dhokos (Hu Stannard), making a welcome return, in his Achilles 24, to the Mylor pursuit racing scene, came second, with Limelite, the RS Elite owned by Euan Beattie and Charles Wharton, who had started last, coming third, followed by Nirvana (Mike Biglin) and Freyja (Jackie Baker). Results: Mary Boon (J Cruise) 1, Dhokos (H Stannard) 2, Limelite (E Beattie & C Wharton) 3.
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