The recent hot weather unsurprisingly attracted an entry in excess of 350 for the first day of Chichester Harbour Race Week, with 307 signing afloat for the first race. As the committee boats left their moorings and competitors launched it looked all set for a classic CHRW day. The wind was 12 knots at 210 with a forecast to build and veer to 235.
With a strong flood the race officers for Series A and B set up in vicinity of Pilsey bank on a 200-210 axis and all starts began on time. However, shortly after the first few starts it all went messy; the wind backed, dropped to less than 5 knots and backed again eventually going as far as 140.
Boats piled up on the winner bank as they struggled to make head way against the strong flood. After almost an hour the wind started to build again and eventually settled back at 220 at least making the last lap a half decent course. Who would be race officer!
Despite all these shenanigans it seems the usual suspects were still at the front of their fleets although there were no doubt a few heavyweight casualties!
Simon Kings and Jono Looe had a huge lead and win in the Fireballs but it was great to see Mike Partridge and Clare Davis coming in 2nd. In the Fast Handicap, the light winds would normally favour the Flying Fifteens which did take 2nd to 4th but it was the Merlin Rocket of Judith Massey and Graeme Williamson who took the win on corrected. Roger Millett took an early lead in his Hadron H2 and managed to hold off late pressure from Tim Weeden in his Devoti DZero to win the interesting combined Hadron H2, Devoti DZero, RS Aero 9 class.
Its brilliant to see another healthy Finn entry this year and it was Julian Smith from Mengeham Rythe who took a good win today in a very competitive fleet. As expected in the lighter breezes, it was RS400’s which dominated the Asymmetric class with 4 in first 6 and it was Stephen and Sarah Cockerill from Stokes Bay (and just back from the class nationals in Scotland) who in turn dominated the RS400’s to take the overall win on corrected time. In a good fleet of 29ers, local boat Josh Stokes and Gregan Bergmann-Smith came out clear winners. Finally, in the ultra-competitive RS200’s, many of whom are practicing for next week’s nationals, it was the brother and sister team of Tom and Charlie Darling who secured their first win.
On Series B, where fleets struggled equally to Series A competitors to combat the first beat across the flood tide on the winner bank Alex and Angela Johnson (ESC) were able to take the gun for an impressive 2000 entry although one of the fleet chose the finish line to capsize on top of the Committee boat! In the large Medium Handicap fleet the K1 of Graham Butler (Frensham Pond) secured the win on corrected time over the Europe of Gareth Tweedle (ESC) and ILCA 7 of Charles Porter from CYC. In the large and competitive Feva fleet Zac Sheperd and Platon Khodykin (HISC) took the gun ahead of Tristan Harding and William Ahlheid (Frensham Pond). With the light breeze many competitors missed the shorten course signal and proceeded to complete additional rounds before crossing the finish line for a second time.
Series C sailed over the sheltered ‘West Mud’ saw a welcome return for the Optimist class and Tera fleet. Whilst possibly ideal for the less experienced the very light winds did not benefit from the strengthening sea breeze through the harbour mouth, and both first and second races provided the same results in the Optimists with Sam Mitchell (HISC) taking first place, followed by Freddie Jones and Lucy Whorton crossing the line for 2nd and third place. In the Teras Harry Slight (ESC) leads with 2 firsts, whilst Ben Gardner (HISC) and Beaulah Wilson (HISC) are on equal points both with a second and third respectively.
Greg Wells & Robert Macdonald.
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