Shifty Conditions at PSM
Report by Mick Kneale
After a washout the previous weekend, dinghy racing did take place last Sunday, right off Brewery Beach. Two races were sailed over a simple windward leeward course laid between Carthure and the Cronnags. This was to avoid the lumpy seas near Alfred Pier, which would have proved dangerous in the strange conditions. A long, powerful swell was rolling into the bay from the SSW, directly against the newly established light NNE breeze. It is very unusual to have the waves travelling in the opposite direction to the wind – even the most experienced sailors had never felt anything quite like it. Experience seemed to be an advantage this week – Andrew Dean and crew Angus Jolly (combined age: 100) took their RS200 to victory in both races. Russell and June Collister kept their RS200 right on the leaders’ tail for the whole of race one, finishing just 2 boat-lengths behind. Third place went to Jon Dowling and Terry Holt sailing the Wayfarer with Mike Pridham fourth in his Laser.
Race two saw Andrew and Angus finish 30 seconds ahead of second place Russell and June (Russell’s mind may well have been on the cross-country running race an hour or so later). Mike Pridham got his revenge on the Wayfarer by a two-second margin. Once again, the small-rig Radials, sailed by Ali Hinds and Ben Swindlehurst were weak in the light airs. Everyone suffered the insidious floating seaweed clogging dagger-boards and rudder blades. Paul Carine and Nick Butler are on a steep learning curve sailing the Laser 3000. The wind picked up a bit at the very end of the final race and these two decided to gybe just before the finish line, got it wrong and spectacularly slammed the three-sail rig into the water. The tide took them over the line to finish (upside-down, to the amusement of the race officials) but then, as soon as the rig emerged, the boat set off without its owner – Nick doing well to keep it upright. The safety boat, manned this week by newly elected club Commodore David Hill and RIB driver Richard Gyselynck, was right at hand, picked up the abandoned Paul and zoomed off to put him back aboard the errant 3000.
Results
Race One
1st Andrew Dean and Angus Jolly (RS200),
2nd Russell and June Collister (RS200),
3rd John Dowling and Terry Holt (Wayfarer),
4th Mike Pridham (Laser),
5th Ali Hinds (Radial),
6th Ben Swindlehurst (Radial),
7th Paul Carine and Nick Butler (Laser 3000)
Race Two
1st Andrew Dean and Angus Jolly (RS200),
2nd Russell and June Collister (RS200),
3rd Mike Pridham (Laser),
4th John Dowling and Terry Holt (Wayfarer),
5th Ben Swindlehurst (Radial),
6th Ali Hinds (Radial),
7th Paul Carine and Nick Butler (Laser 3000)