Westerly wind with a bit of north in it saw a beat to Cosheen for the Minis, with Sea Urchin, the Idris 14 helmed by Pascale Tchen getting away off the line ahead of the Toppers, led by Abbie Salter Townsend in Baby Blue and Shane Buckley in No Name.
No Namewas leading the leg for the toppers, but found itself in a large hole under the mark, where Shane had to watch the rest of the fleet round the mark ahead of him, with Sea Urchin first around followed by William Wallis in Gosling, Tom Cochrane in Topper the World and Alex Biggs in Blue Jay and Baby Blue.
On the leg to the second mark Blue Jay made up good time rounding the mark just behind Gosling which was itself behind Sea Urchin. They were followed by Topper the World, Jelly Bean and Baby Blue. Meanwhile Charlotte Mayhew in the Chimp was ahead of Shane Buckley in No Name round the second mark.
From Harbour, the downwind mark, on the second lap, Alex Biggs continued to make good ground, with Gosling, Blue Jay, Topper the World and Jelly Bean rounding Harbour for the second time in that order, but with a floodinig tide and the wind dying the topper fleet watched Sea Urchin sail by being first across the line as the toppers bunched waiting for the wind, Shane Buckley had made good ground and was catching Jelly Bean, down wind of Topper the World, Gosling and Blue Jay.
It was Alex Biggs in Blue Jay who got up to finish ahead of William Wallis in Gosling with Tom Cochrane crossing the line in third ahead of Zach T.
Although Sea Urchin was first over the line she didn’t hold position on handicap finishing behind the toppers.
Optimist Class
The Chimp, helped by Charlotte Mayhew led off the line ahead of Adam Salter Townsend in Van Persie and Jess Cochrane in Always Optimisticwith Onion and Sam T starting a long way down the line at the pin end. Adam Salter Townsend in Van Persie played a blinder on the first leg, getting to the windward mark of Cosheen second the The Chimp, followed by Always Optimistic and Jess Cochrane io Third. Onion and Sam T had too much distance to make up to close and these positions were held till the finish.
Another worthy victory for Charlotte Mayhew, but a great race for Van Persie and Adam Salter Townsend coming in second, and a brave race by Jess Cochrane in third and Onion, helmed valiantly by Sam T in fourth.
James Biiggs did not start in Banana