Manx Sail Racer

Thanks to Mick Kneale for the report, a full range of pictures from MSR’s official photographer Dave Kneale will soon be available in the Gallery, remember if you want to purchase full resolution copies just email photos _ at _ manxsailracer.com

Some slightly shaky action from Saturday!

The IOMYC hosted the 2007 championship over the weekend of 7th and 8th July, consisting of two races back-to-back Saturday afternoon and another two Sunday morning.

Nine boats entered. Four 1720s made up the Sportsboat class and five IRC yachts, the Cruiser class. No boats entered the PY Cruiser class. The idea of the event timing was to allow Douglas boats, where the majority of off-shore racers and all the sportsboats are now based, the chance to sail down Saturday morning and return home Sunday afternoon. In fact three boats arrived Thursday, two on Friday and another two Saturday morning.

You may have read in the IOM Examiner (10.07.07) how, bringing the 1720 down from Douglas on Thursday evening, Mike Wilson contrived to fall off the back while gybing at Dreswick Point, snapping off the tiller as he went. The boys did well to get the main down and sail back to the MOB under jib only, with Antony Ellis hanging on to the rudder head. Langness is not a sensible place to try out these kind of tricks in a squally force 6 and heavy showers. All aboard had the right gear on, including buoyancy aids and the MayDay call was the right thing to do. PSM lifeboat met them abeam of the Carrick, sailing in at nearly 10 knots under jib only. The LB service also extended to laminating a new tiller within 2 hours.

The weekend weather was kind - a reasonable SW 3-4 Saturday and a rather light SSW 2-3 Sunday - and it didn’t rain for a change. Courses were laid from the IOMYC launch, affectionately known as “The Yellow Peril” helped by the mSr resident photographer in one of the club RIBs. The two classes were started together and sailed the same course. The windward/leeward courses on Saturday took the leading boats about half an hour per lap.

For race one, started at 1400, the flood tide meant the beat was against the current. This tested the tactics a bit - inshore to avoid the tide or offshore for better breeze? Stemming it on port - going down the plug hole on starboard?? It also meant there was no problem with early starters across the start/finish gate half way up the beat. The 1720 pack led the fleet at the first mark, as they did just about every time and enjoyed very close racing in the ideal conditions. Positions chopped and changed through the race. The leading cruisers were on the 1720s heels but never managed to reel them in. The tactics in the cruiser’s handicap racing was, inevitably, more to do with speed over the ground, once they got round the first mark, than the cut and thrust of the one-designs.
The 1720s were led home by Folly, Paul Hansford; 2nd Fruit & Nuts,Robin Wootton, 3rd Kick ‘m Jenny, John Knight and 4th Yknot, Mike Wilson. After an hour and a half racing, there was just 105 seconds from 1st to 4th. Jason Corlett’s First 31.7, Eauvation from DBYC led the cruisers on the water, finishing less than five minutes after the 1720s. The IOMYC Commodore’s (borrowed) J109, Stanley’s Banjo came in next followed by the Ramsey based Jerry Colman’s Sigma 33, Sea-Pie of Cultra and Andy Dunn’s Bolero, Tango, DBYC. The struggling IOMYC Sigma 33 Sorcery, Mike Stanton, had been finished on his previous lap under the average lap system. With the times corrected, the order was Tango, Sea-Pie, Eauvation, Banjo, Sorcery.

By the time race two started at 1556, the tide was ebbing, giving a down-tide beat - and start, of course. The starboard end was favoured causing a raft of boats trying to get through the non-existent gap behind the Peril. The fleet was early this time, not making sufficient allowance for the carpet now moving the other way and three 1720s were OCS. Only Fruit & Nuts responded to the recall. Folly and Yknot got the silent treatment at the finish. Kick ‘em Jenny got the “gun” - (we can hardly say horn I suppose), with Fruit & Nuts in P2. Eauvation was again first finisher in IRC, just three minutes behind the 1720s. Somehow, the Banjo managed to finish last on the water. Corrected, the order was Tango, Sea-Pie, Eauvation, Sorcery and Banjo.

There was a protest lodged in both these races, one in each class, to which the IOMYC was not organised to promptly respond and they were held over until the next day. So the points position was uncertain overnight - this is a regatta without discards. A rather unsatisfactory end to an otherwise excellent day, which the club sincerely regrets.

Sunday morning dawned almost calm - just cat’s-paw inside the harbour. Fortunately, just in time, a new SSW breeze filled in and, although it was light, there was enough pressure to allow boats to again combat the ubiquitous flood tide. Race 3, scheduled for 1000, was delayed 8 minutes while the wing mark was adjusted. The beat was laid slightly shorter than the day before and the wing mark used for an old style Olympic course (triangle, sausage). No problems (for the race officer) at the start and the 1720s flew along the reaches. After just over an hour, the finish order this time was Yknot, Kick ‘em Jenny, Folly and Fruit & Nuts, with the fleet spread over 8 minutes. Calling the beat was the usual 50/50 chance. The rock-hoppers seemed to be doing the right thing but, there must have been a lot more pressure to seaward to allow the blue-water boats to beat the stronger current. With guest helm, Pete Hinds and therefore, an extra hand aboard, the Banjo improved to at least leading on the water, as it should, although six minutes behind the last 1720. The IRC order on corrected times was Eauvation, Banjo, Tango, Sea-Pie and Sorcery.

There was a bit of a wait between races while the course was rotated right a couple of points as the wind veered to the SW. The flood continued over most of the race area but, by the last lap, the early ebb had become apparent between Carthure Perch and the back of the breakwater extending less than a quarter of a mile offshore. Race 4 started at 1200 and was another windward/leeward. The tide meant that no boat even got across the line until 20 seconds after the gun and the last three boats to cross just did it before the standard 4 minute cut-off point! The race lasted an hour for the 1720s and the Banjo - and nearly an hour and a half for Sorcery. The order in the 1720s was Yknot, Folly, Fruit & Nuts and Kick ‘em Jenny. In the IRC class, Tango had, amazingly, managed to keep ahead of both the Sigma 33s to earn a fine win on corrected time in the light breeze, followed by Banjo, Eauvation, Sea-Pie and Sorcery.

After racing, the protests from Saturday were heard, resulting in the disqualification of Fruit & Nuts from race 1 in the 1720s and, of Tango from race 2 in IRC.

The overall results were as follows:
1720s (all DBYC): 1st Kick ‘em Jenny, John Knight 9 pts; 2nd Yknot, Mike Wilson/Antony Ellis 11 pts, 3rd Folly, Paul Hansford 11 pts; 4th Fruit & Nuts, Robin Wootton 14pts.

IRC: 1st Eauvation (First 31.7) Jason Corlett DBYC 9 pts; 2nd Tango (Bolero) Andy Dunn DBYC 11 pts; 3rd Sea-Pie of Cultra (Sigma 33) Jerry Colman MSCC 11 pts; 4th Stanley’s Banjo (J109) Pete Hinds IOMYC 12 pts; 5th Sorcery (Sigma 33) Mike Stanton IOMYC 18 pts.

The IOMYC thanks all entrants for supporting the event and hopes that crews were well fed and watered. Nine boats may seem a relatively small entry - but it’s whole lot better than last year when, there were so few, the event was cancelled. It was really good to see a weekend of quality racing in Port St Mary and, nice to welcome the impressive 1720s making their first island appearance outside of Douglas.