IOMYC Club Racing 1st & 4th May
Report thanks to Mick Kneale
The 2008 season racing season started at Port St Mary on Thursday 1st May with dinghies in the bay. Great to see Race Officer Pete Hinds back in action, on this occasion assisted by the IOMYC Dinghy Class Captain, Pete Barlow.
10 boats turned out in the “senior” fleet along with a further 9 sailed by juniors - a very encouraging response. The sea was a bit choppy for the kids, so they were set their own course inside the breakwater. A windward-leeward course was laid for the seniors inside the Carrick.
Two races were run for each fleet. In the juniors, Nick Parkes (Pico) won the first race in convincing style. Race two was taken by Sammy Holt (Pico) who charged through the fleet after a poor start.
Whenever conditions permit, the juniors will be racing with the big boys.
The seniors had two very close races. Soon after the start of race one, Mike Wilson, guest helming Antony Ellis’ National 18’, contrived to capsize the boat on its second tack of the race – allowing the other 18’ sailed by Mick Kneale, Phil Hardisty and Donald Edwards to slip into clear air to win from Smiler Williams and Tom Cringle sailing their RS400.
The club’s Chief Dinghy Instructor, John Dowling slotted his Wayfarer into third place.
For race two, Antony Ellis kept a grip on the tiller and this time came out on top by 8 seconds from Smiler and Tom, who in turn beat Mick Kneale’s 18’ by seven-tenths of a second. This is getting to sound like the TT Grandstand commentary!
Thursday - top six places:
Race One: 1st M Kneale (Nat.18), 2nd A Williams (RS400), 3rd J Dowling (Wayfarer), 4th A Hinds (Radial), 5th B Swindlehurst (Radial), 6th L Collins (Radial).
Race Two: 1st A Ellis (Nat.18), 2nd A Williams (RS400), 3rd M Kneale (Nat.18), 4th B Quayle (Finn), 5th J Dowling (Wayfarer) 6th A Hinds (Radial).
On Sunday May 4th, the turnout for the Sunday morning races was badly dented by many sailors taking part in the Ramsey Round the Island Yacht Race and the after effects of Jenni Kneale’s marriage to Jon Quillin the day before. Five boats raced, with the reigning IOM Dinghy Champions, Russell and June Collister (RS200) taking two wins. Dave Batchelor has imported a trendy looking National 12 and sailing with his 10 year old daughter, Emily, improved from 4th in race one to 2nd in race two, only 20 seconds behind the Collisters.Very good for Batch - first time out in a new boat and the first time Emily has ever sailed with her Dad – and the weather wasn’t too pleasant either. Well done all.
Sunday places:
Race One: 1st R Collister (RS200), 2nd A Hinds (Radial), 3rd B Swindlehurst (Radial), 4th D Batchelor (Nat.12), 5th N Parkes (4.7)
Race Two: 1st R Collister, 2nd D Batchelor, 3rd A Hinds, 4th B Swindlehurst, 5th N Parkes
