Wayfarer Picnic - rescheduled for 12th or 26th September
Eight boats assemble for the "Round the Islands" race in light Northerlies, and summer sunshine. The windward mark is laid in Parkstone bay. A Pin end start and tack into Baiter sees Bruce Gridley navigate Devon Pickle around the XOD fleet, running out from John Pipe mark. As ever, Watery Moments is close in second place with Escapade third around the mark. A reach with Ebb tide and Escapade closes on Devon Pickle, Colin deciding to go low. Defending the lead Bruce and Terry round Bell first and onto South deep. Watery Moments catches up after flying the kite after Amy Group mark. Beating through the buoys and stakes Devon Pickle stays ahead. Watery Moments pops the kite up again to gain that extra speed as the kite is still below on Devon Pickle. Some good tacks out of the back waters of Poole harbour see Devon Pickle pass Piccadilly with a good comfort zone. Glovers is looking quiet on approach and a wind hole anchors Devon Pickle on the mark, all the distance gained is lost again.
Colin decided to sail on past and then tacks around the hole and onto No.28. He slips towards Brownsea Island and the wind is now dying. A ribbon of wind is spotted as Devon Pickle regains the lead and at No.28 stops again as the new flood takes hold. It's a waiting game as Watery Moments parks just behind and attempts to overtake. The new sea breeze and northerly combination NE F2 wind eventually tracks across the harbour to power Devon Pickle across the finish line first. Dave and Anne Moss work the beats on the last leg to overhaul Watery Moments into second place. A memorable race for all no doubt!
1st W6288 Devon Pickle - Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett
2nd W8181 Norwegian Blue - David and Anne Moss
3rd W9068 Watery Moments - Colin May and Sue Poulson
With the Wayfarer World Championships imminent it was a good turnout from the Wayfarer "hotshots". A beat to Chris Somner mark saw the fleet splitting. Watery moments cleared ahead to round first. Devon Pickle followed in hot pursuit. Finding the best way down the Wych channel the fleet closed up. Beating to Amy Group and Crewman Terry Berrett calls the tacks on Devon Pickle to take the lead at Amy group. On the long run back NC2 Watery Moments with superior downwind speed, caught up to round just behind. Another beat and it's close with the 6 or 7 boats in close combat as the second group of boats find a quicker way to the south deep channel via the North haven side (sandbanks side) . With Terry in charge Devon Pickle takes the lead again and onto the run once more, Closing Bell race mark Watery Moments is menacing close and seizes inside boat rights. A further reaching fight for wind across to the Island eventually ends as Watery Moments slips away to leeward o crab across the tide to seek out the finish line and victory. The remaining boats never got back in the hunt but Blue Jay closed in third Place. The Series results are the same order. Now let's see what happens at the World event!
1st W9068 Watery Moments Colin May and Sue Poulson
2nd W6288 Devon Pickle Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett
3rd W7698 Blue Jay Ray and Jill Scragg
Wayfarer Bass Trophy Saturday Series 22nd May (race report by Ray Scragg)
This was Wareham Channel ‘Barrel O’ day with warm sunshine and S/SE force 2 on tap. With an incoming stream the fleet spread across the shallow parts of the harbour, but the right hand side paid best on the approach to Glovers windward mark – Virginia Plain almost nudging Brownsea at one point got there first followed by BlueJay. Routing decisions were probably made earlier for the long spinnaker cruise down to the Wareham Channel. BlueJay/Expeditous had chosen the main channel (leeward path) and Virginia Plain/Devon Pickle and most other Wayfarers the Wych – too late now for further discussion!
The Wychers seemed to storm off on the more close-winded course but they were joined by a big flock of Flying Fifteens on return from their more remote windward mark. In the light breeze speeds were similar and each other’s company was probably not well appreciated! But then the Wychers appeared to run out of steam in the lee of Brownsea while the Main Channellers could harden up past the ferry terminal towards Hutchins with some quite nice broad reaching followed by a starboard run to WH5 and port broad reach to Barrel ‘O’. Meanwhile the pod of Dolphins was caught, probably exacerbating the difficulties for the van of Wayfarers. A nice long beat back to the finish with widening sea room provided the chance for the fleet to extricate themselves from FFs and Dolphins – nevertheless a glorious sail in beautiful conditions.
1st W7698 BlueJay Ray & Jill Scragg
2nd W9559 Virgina Plain Tom Lock and Mark Pellicina
3rd W6288 Devon Pickle Bruce Gridley and Terry Berrett..
More race reports and pictures...
The 2010 Wayfarer Dinner Dance, held Parkstone Yacht Club ...
