Race 4 (19/12/99) report

Message from our race sponsor (5/12/99)

Windermere will return to 'windymere' for the next WCA race on 19th December.

Never in the history of Goacher Sails sponsored WCA races have we had a drifter. And never (or hardly ever ) has Eric the Boat won one. So it's guaranteed wind and sunshine for the last race of the year. Oh, and to scotch another rumour our prizes will definitely not be signed photos of ' Team Eric' as the negatives have not yet been returned from Crime Watch.

Best of luck to all sailors in the rest of the Series from Steve and all at Goacher Sails

First Start Time 11:15:00 ============================================================================ Sailno Yacht Name Class Fleet Fin. Time Corr.Secs. CN Place ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 8748N ERIC THE BOAT Sonata D 12:59:03 5725 1038 1 2 9412Y PLACEBO Micro 18 D 12:59:36 5757 1038 2 3 1770L LUVLY JUBBLY Cork 1720 H 12:55:09 5839 875 3 4 8314N SARABAND Sonata D 13:01:17 5854 1038 4 5 8022N MOONLIGHT Sonata D 13:03:50 6002 1038 5 6 8002N IRIE BLUE Sonata D 13:03:59 6011 1038 6 7 8047N JAMMIE DODGER Sonata D 13:05:20 6089 1038 7 8 9411Y SPECULATION Micro 18 D 13:06:41 6167 1038 8 9 4056Y JIBBERISH J24 J 13:02:20 6200 942 9 10 8285N HIGH AND DRY Sonata D 13:08:02 6245 1038 10 11 8171N OUT OF THE BLUE Sonata D 13:09:19 6319 1038 11 12 8044Y HITCH HIKER Formula One J 13:10:40 6327 1002 12 13 1771 X STATIC X 99 H 13:06:23 6355 910 13 14 7112N STORM CHASER Hunter 707 H 13:09:40 6368 939 14 15 7196 BUBBLES Bolero J 13:10:43 6368 996 15 16 8039N SPIN OFF Sonata D 13:10:30 6387 1038 16 17 8997N SOOTY Sonata D 13:11:09 6425 1038 17 18 8195N STEAMY WINDOWS Sonata D 13:11:13 6429 1038 18 19 8362N POINT 5 Sonata D 13:13:09 6540 1038 19 20 8430N DOLLY Sonata D 13:13:45 6575 1038 20 21 8084N SONIC Sonata D 13:13:47 6577 1038 21 22 8504N BEE SHARP Sonata D 13:14:42 6630 1038 22 23 4776T STILL DESPERATE First Class Eu H 13:10:12 6680 900 23 24 8409N SHOCKWAVE Sonata D 13:15:36 6682 1038 24 25 38 BLUE MOVIE Club 19 D 13:18:27 6717 1058 25 26 8116N BEE OFF Sonata D 13:16:35 6739 1038 26 27 155 ESCAPADE E Boat D 13:18:01 6763 1047 27 28 8032Y BOOMERANG Formula One J 13:18:23 6789 1002 28 29 18 OPTIONS 2 Hunter 19 G 13:26:30 6867 1149 29 30 8881N SANDPIPER Sonata D 13:19:18 6896 1038 30 31 139 ELIMINATOR E Boat D 13:21:16 6949 1047 31 32 5328T HARRY EAU Ben.210 Spirit G 13:20:50 6991 1080 32 33 8371N HANKY PANKY Sonata D 13:21:03 6997 1038 33 34 4047Y ENDEAVOUR J24 J 13:17:22 7157 942 34 35 424 TAMIANKA Albin Viggen G 13:35:06 7247 1160 35 36 6417T JUPITER First Class 7 D 13:25:39 7298 1033 36 37 8252N PAY OFF Sonata D 13:26:30 7312 1038 37 38 8304N JAZZ Sonata D 13:27:53 7392 1038 38 39 1 KALYPSO Limbo 6.6 D 13:29:29 7521 1033 39 40 46800 BONS AMIS First 285 D 13:36:33 7744 1058 40 41 48 MR WINDY Hunter Medina G 13:39:26 7814 1109 41 Fleet: G - Cruiser, D - Mid Handicap, J - Fast Handicap, H - Sports Boat

Refer to Series Results - overall for position too date.

After a sharp overnight frost, competitors brushed the ice from their boats and gathered in the North of the Lake. Conditions were cold but bright with a moderate northerly breeze as 41 boats started the olympic course.
The reach from the northerly windward mark at 'Troutbeck' towards 'Red Nab' enabled water line length speeds to be readily achieved with some opting for spinnaker and others preferring to retain maneuverability as boats jostled for position.
The wind shifted towards the North West and the fleet spread out across the lake running under spinnaker towards 'Rayrig'.
It was the first opportunity in the series for the heavier cruisers and sports boats to effectively demonstrate their boat speed, particularly 'offwind' in the freshening conditions. Their pleasure was evident in the smiles on the crew's faces as they progressed through the fleet.
The wind maintained it's strength for a number of laps enabling many a competitive struggle across the fleet between differing boat types. However shortly after the leaders finished the wind abated causing a delay and some disappointment for the slower handicap boats, but all boats finished within the time limit.
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From Robin Rew - Skipper of Boomerang,

As a refreshing change after the unseasonally light winds of this season's first three WCA Winter Series races, the competitors at the fourth event on the 19th.December were treated to a bright sunny day with a fairly steady F3/4 from the NNW, the wind settling in well before the boats left their moorings. Race Officer John Atkinson set an Olympic course in the North lake for the 41 boats that came to the start line. Charlie Lippett's Cork 1720 Luvly Jubbly sailed easily through the fleet from the last class start for Sports boats and made up more ten minutes on the leading Sonatas during 105 minutes in glorious sailing conditions to take line honours, third on corrected time, taking the gun almost four minutes ahead of the overall handicap winner, the ever consistent Steve Coacher in Andy Laurie's Sonata Eric the Boat which won for the first time in this series, an indication of both the fluky conditions of the earlier races and the high quality of the competition. Paul Monaghan's Micro 18 Placebo was on good form, at last with enough wind to plane downwind, coming second with Sonata Saraband a minute and a half behind him 2.5 minutes ahead of Sonatas Moonlight and irie Blue. Terry Tinn's J24 Fast Handicap class winner Jibberish was 5th on the water, whilst second in this class was Dennis Nlchols in Fl Hitch Hiker after a tense tussle with Barry Pilkington's fast Bolero Bubbies, the Fl just 3 seconds ahead at the gun.

Second to the Cork 1720 in the Sports boat class, Mark Brammer's handsome big Scandinavian X 99, X Static had a long battle with John Curtis's Hunter 707 Storm Chaser before pulling out a 2 minute lead in the later stages, John now beginning to get the best out of the boat which has replaced his formidably successful Hunter Delta.

Option 2, Byron Thompson's Hunter 19, which he bought only a fortnlght before the start of the series, again won the Cruiser class on corrected time from John Dyson's Beneteau 210 Spirit Harry Eau which was five minutes ahead on the water. Third in the Cruiser class was Granville Buck's Albin Viggen Tamianka with another unobtrusive but consistent performance.

After four rounds, steve Coacher has the overall lead resulting from his consistent finishes in the first three places. The following quartet, Sonatas Moonlight, High and Dry , Saraband and Irie Blue are very close on points, with Micro Placebo well up amongst them. Winners; Overall and Mid-Fleet Eric the Boat; Cruisers, Option 2; Fast Fleet Jibberish; Sports Boat Luvly Jubbly.

Further news and stories with fuller report and pictures in Yachting Life,the magazine for coverage of the North's sailing, which will be sponsoring Race 5 (2/1/2000) Millennium Special. For further information, ring Robin Rew on 016977 47465 or speak to him on F1.Boomerang (not when racing though!), for YL's subscription details, phone 01355 279077 fax 279088.