Thirteen skippers turned up on this bright, hot sunny morning for round 9 of the IOM summer series, despite the forecast of light, variable winds. Sun cream and shady hats were the order of the day. Eventually, the breeze settled into a northeasterly direction, allowing the race team, Kevin E and Chris G, to set a course off the east bank.
A simple course was chosen, with a beat away from the clubhouse to a windward/spreader mark off the middle jetty, followed by a downwind run to a leeward gate near the clubhouse, before a second beat to the finish line between the windward and spreader marks.
The wind proved fresher than forecast, although frequent shifts and variations kept everyone on their toes. The challenging conditions produced some excellent racing and made for a thoroughly enjoyable morning.
It was great to welcome Mike H (27), Ron A (175) and Chris G (11) back on the water.
Racing got underway shortly before 10 am, with Sam P (59) taking the honours in the opening race, closely followed by Jen H (69). Colin H (77) claimed his first victory of the day in Race 2, while Richard J (89) showed excellent form by winning Race 3. Mick C (66) finished the morning session strongly, taking the honours in the two races before tea break.
After tea, Sam P came out flying, winning Race 6 and 8, while Mark N (10) sailed well to secure victory in Race 7. Colin H maintained his consistent form by winning the final races of the day.
It was encouraging to see different skippers on the top steps of the podium, and the small differences in the final scores reflected just how closely contested the racing was throughout the fleet.
Congratulations to Colin H, who won the day with 26 points and three race wins. Sam P finished a close second on 30 points, also with three race wins, while Richard J took third place on 32 points after one race victory and a consistently strong performance.
All in all, it was an excellent day’s racing, with close competition, good sportsmanship and plenty of enjoyable sailing. The race team would like to thank everyone who helped pack away the equipment at the end of the morning
Great racing at Lincoln yet again .