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LMYC at Play
Race report 30th June 2024 – DF Pursuit Racing Fun Day at Lincoln
Many thanks to Roger Crates for proposing a handicapped pursuit race for the 5th Sunday of the month. We did have a good time! Roger had kindly marked out a start board for us (see photo, ready for race 9). Jen and Martyn did a trial run of the concept at the Rotherham MYC racing held at Poolsbrook on the previous day. This went well and provided some experience of this type of race organisation.
The early birds to the lake got all the gear out and Jen arrived with Martyn to sort out the handicap board for the 8 skippers, decide a course and move a couple of buoys. As no more than 4 boats were intended to start simultaneously, a short start line was employed which was also used as a downwind gate. An upwind mark was selected to suit the predominantly North-West light to moderate wind, and a spreader mark added. This course was appropriate for all eight races although the wind moved up to twenty degrees to either side of North-West from time to time.
Handicaps were initially assigned on the basis of historical results (retrieved by Jen). These provided up to a forty second advantage to the early starters. The handicaps were adjusted on a race by race basis depending mainly on performance. This was true for everyone except Dave Burke, who joined us for the day as a visitor. Poor old Dave was used as the bench mark from whom everyone else got a start and he always started on scratch! Dave seemed to relish the challenge and was always at the pin end of the line in a timely manner and in hot pursuit, usually to great effect. Starting before scratch did seem to cause timing issues for most of the competitors and the assigned advantage was often squandered! The variable wind speed and direction also provided varying levels of advantage to the early starters. Nine races were run and six different skippers won races, which is indicative of the success of this racing concept.
Martyn won the day with 17 points, so he was clearly inadequately handicapped! 5 skippers (Dave, Colin, Alan, Sam and Jen) then followed with points in the range of 22 to 25. Richard and Colin took positions 7 and 8 and didn’t have their best days for results, but both still won races.
Thank you to Jen for doing the majority of the thinking and the prep for this day. Thanks again to Roger for introducing the concept. Thank you to Dave for being our bench mark, Colin for working the results out, and thank you to the participants in general for the great spirit in which the racing was performed and the final tidy-up which was diligently and speedily achieved. We are ready for a bigger turn-out next time, and hope Mike Williams is okay as he doesn’t miss many sailing days, but unexpectedly missed today.
Martyn Aspinall
1st July 2024
DF 65 summer series, Round three, 23rd June 2024
A windless morning that caused a bit of frustration for the OOD and skippers, the wind direction was unable to make its mind up for more than two minutes at a time and the strength, well there was no strength, hence only 6 races. but in any case 7 skippers showed up on this otherwise warm sunny day and had some decent racing, which is what it is all about, Micky boy got off to a good start winning the first with Dave R 180 not too far behind and Jen H 69 taking third spot, Dave took the next with Martyn in second spot, both overtaking Micky boy with 10 yards to go to the line when micky boy hit a large green carp of which there were plenty today just basking on the surface and Micky boy just stopped dead in the water. As I said we started with 7 skippers but before we started Mike W 76 realised he was not going to be able to continue and called it a day. Richard J 699 was not having the best of days and as he said himself he was making far to many mistakes, Sam P 59 got better as the morning wore on, but Martyn A 66 just pipped him on countback, but on the day Dave R 180 kept his cool and with a great series of races never being worse than second, took the day. The series seems to be suffering at the moment with lack of numbers but I am sure this will pick up soon. Many thanks to everybody who mucked in and got stuff put away, and for the manor it was sailed in perfect. Well done Dave .
I.O.M Summer Series round 6 , 16th June 2024
Great turnout for this, round 6 of the series, 15 skippers rocked up for close on perfect conditions for some top quality racing, It was a quality fleet and some superb racing was on the cards, wind direction was not quite the best but the OOD’s gave it there best shot along with Darin who as usual was at the lake early getting the buoys sorted, great to see the two “Eastenders” Roger B and Stuart J ( from down Boston way ) in attendance .
Racing commenced on the South bank, and with a short dog leg it proved to be just perfect, Darin B was out of the blocks fast and took the first race from Mick C ,closely followed by Rob W, it was the first of four straight wins by Darin with Tim H and Rob W picking up the crumbs, in race two Pete W must have had some kind of disaster that I am afraid I did not see, same thing for Mick C in race three but this was a coming together, The Brit Pops looked, and were strong , Darin fresh back from his Nationals experience, a first in another class, and he looked sharp as a knife, The racing was as I said first class with battles fought throughout the fleet, Jen H and Chris G separated by a very small margin, as was Roger Crates and Martyn A . Kevin E was not having the best of days, and as others will ,they are sure to analyse the score board when they see the results . Race 5 and Darin seemed to have a problem which stopped him having a clean sweep , however he went on to win the three remaining races with Tim H doing much better in the last three races along with Pete W keeping Darin honest. Eight races on the day, quality races I may add, the rain held off and the breeze stayed firm, we started on A suit and finished on A suit , I am fairly confident everyone went home with a smile on their face , none broader than Darin who took the win by a country mile, 2nd 3rd and 4th only a single point separating them and 3rd and 4th on countback.
Hey till next time .
Micky Boy
Standings after round 6 below
Race report DF95 9th June 2024 Summer Series Round 3
Colin Toll fronted the session as Assistant OD and made sure that all the equipment was out and ready with help from all the other early skippers. An awkward predominantly WSW wind was blowing and gusting to the top end of the A rigs which everyone elected to use. A few buoys were moved to accommodate the wind direction.
Racing commenced with Martyn getting home first followed by Jen and Alan, who sailed well to score his best race of the day. A spreader mark was introduced along with a change to the start line and another race was run in a reducing wind speed with significant wind shifts. Martyn and Jen came home in first and second positions again with Colin Toll taking third spot.
The changeable wind was spoiling the upwind leg, so a rethink of the course was required. This resulted in a Z configuration course with 2 beats to keep sailing close to the shore….. and other legs that could become beats in the regular wind shifts! This course generally worked well until a wind change dictated a course change for the last race.
Colin Helliwell put in a stunning performance to win race 7, jostling for the lead and not giving it up despite serious challenges. Kevin Evison put in a similar performance in the final race 10 on the revised course, achieving an early clear lead and holding on to it. Mike Williams was also near the front in several races and achieved a string of second places.
The tricky wind changes and some weed issues played their part in positional changes during the racing, but after 10 completed races, Martyn won the day with 8 points , Jen came second with 21 and Colin third with 27.
It was a very enjoyable day for a rather select number of skippers (where are you all!) and thanks go to everyone for helping to perform a very efficient tidy-up at the end.
Martyn Aspinall
9th June 2024
Lincoln Radio Sailing Club 