Hurricane 5.9 Nationals

South Shields August 19th-22nd 2006 - Yachts & Yachting Report

Summary
  
John Ready and Ryan Crawford took the title with a comfortable margin and proved beyond doubt that practice makes perfect in the 5.9 fleet.  John started sailing 5.9’s on his return from the states five years back and showed steady progress up the fleet with an exceptional amount of determination more recently with Ryan training hard through the winter months at Datchet and campaigning their Tornado Sport in Europe.  It just goes to show that anyone really can do it, even with a throw back seventies Pornstar hairdo!  Well done lads !
  
As for the rest, well, consistency always pays !  Following the extra discard this came through with Nigel Lynn and Alan Nesbitt taking a well earned second from season campaigners Kevin Turner crewed by recently crowned 2006 Shearwater National Champ Dan Tindale.  Lloyd Turner and Amanda Peters took an exceptionally well deserved fourth place with a win in the final race to top off a great regatta for them both being the youngest crew and sailing the oldest boat, the original boat number one !  This surely proves that the 5.9 class is a true one design which offers great value for money  whatever you can afford to pay out, we need to send this message out to the younger competitive cat sailing wannabees of this country !  Add to this the parings of John Donnovan , Tony Avery and Hamish Ramsey, Stuart Buchannan, long time served 5.9 campaigners at the very senior end of the age spectrum slapping the young wipper snappers backsides with some flashes of brilliance and top three race results. 
  
For me what best summed up this event was five race winners out of seven races sailed, and four of those crews were Nationals Race winner Virgins, well done  !
  
The host club team worked liked Trojans and anyone contemplating South Shields as a nationals venue will find that it has all the right ingredients in abundance for a memorable championships.
  
Just for a change the majority of the travelling competitors logging up the road miles were from down south !! John Donovan and Tony Avery clocked up the most for the southerners having travelled up from Starcross YC tucked away in deepest Devon and the Peterhead regular travelling hardcore from way up north was represented by Neil Stephens who made the usual mega passage to the holy grail of Hurricane annual events once again clocking up some big numbers on the mileage front.
  
I arrived late Friday afternoon to hear the stories of torrential rain and thunderstorms,  it looked as though there was no chance of any pre event practice, then out of the gloom I could just make out the outline of John ready and Ryan Crawford heading back up the harbour in a dying breeze,  a bit keen I thought!
  
Khami Marshall and Helen Scott, our local fleet pairing were on hand to meet and greet the visitors as they arrived.  Competitors were guided  by a well signed route to a securely fenced off boat parking area with ample room for rigging and trailers slap bang next to a superb beach, all walking distance to the club.  The local boat park had space set aside for the caravan and camping crowd which was staggering distance from the bar.
  
Friday night kicked off with the usual beer session and plenty of gossiping as people took the chance to catch up and re-new past event friendships.
  
To assist in understanding my race reporting I need you to know that the side of the course is that which is viewed when looking upwind.   Therefore if a boat gybes off to port (going left) downwind, it will be going back down the right hand side of the course…got it ? 
  
  
Race Day 1 Saturday 19th August
  
Saturday dawned with broken sunshine and a very pleasant force two/ three south easterly breeze.  By close of registration there were twenty two entries.
  
Race 1
  
After a clean start the fleet split up into two groups up the first beat.  Neil Connelly and Andy Ramsey lead one group hard into the shore on the right side of the course sailing into a steady inshore header which caused them to overstand the windward mark big time when they tacked over to port.  This left the door wide open for John ready and Ryan Crawford leading the pack coming in from the seaward/left side of the course to take the initial lead followed by Nick Elmore and Howard Warrington who slipped a tack in at the mark just ahead of Connelly to take second place.
  
The top two headed out to sea for the first downwind leg whilst the bulk of the fleet gybed back inshore.  Ready played safe and gybed back to cover.  Conditions downwind  generally required a “mild” style sailing technique with the odd bit of “wild” going on in the puffs and some very interesting waves also made ideal surfing conditions.
  
At the downwind gate Ready remained ahead although Elmore had closed the gap with Connelly making up some distance a few bursts of “wild” sailing.  All initially opted for the starboard gate (looking down the course) before tacking over to port taking the inshore right hand side.  Elmore started to press on the gas and began to punch through to leeward of Ready.  At the starboard layline tacking point Ready had just hung on to stay ahead of Elmore.  Hamish Ramsey and Stuart Buchanan had suffered on the previous beat having been caught out by the header into the shore and opted this time to tack early, this was an excellent move and allowed them to slip into third place ahead of Connelly at the windward mark.
  
Downwind Ready took the inshore option and increased his lead on Elmore.  Connelly split gybes with Ramsay at the spacer mark, Ramsay continued heading out to sea before gybing back to loosely cover the bulk of the following fleet.  Initially this looked a good move with better pressure but it wasn’t to hold as he lost two places at the downwind gate to Connelly and  David and Ian Kent who had gone hard right into the shore to take third and fourth spot.
  
This order resumed up the beat, with the front back coming back into the shore again. On this occasion as the leaders tacked across onto the starboard layline they were headed forcing them to tack twice to lay the windward mark loosing valuable time.  Richard Hanmore and Matt Gregg spotted the shift and remained on port tack for longer before tacking  over onto the layline  slipping into fourth place right on Connelly’s heels at the windward mark.
  
On this round Ready opted to stand on out to sea downwind pursued by Elmore. Connelly split gybes with Hanmore at the spacer mark taking the inshore/middle option which didn’t pay and allowed Hanmore to slip into third at the leeward gate.  Ready took the standard right side option for the next upwind leg but this time round Elmore decided to attack and split off to the left out to sea looking for steadier breeze. Ready stayed cool and tacked over to loosely cover. Hanmore had come hard inshore again looking for the usual bend but this time found a more fickle and heading breeze.  Connelly tacked sooner searching for better breeze, this move allowed him to close Hanmore  together with Neil Stephens and Claire Andrews who had rustled up some downwind boat speed on the previous leg.
  
For the final downwind leg Ready and Elmore gybed into the shore whilst Hanmore lead the bulk of the fleet out to sea.  All appeared rosey out there with better breeze but it wasn’t enough to catch Ready who took the gun becoming the first of this events nationals race win virgins !  Elmore only just stayed ahead of Hanmore who came charging in from seaward to take third with Connelly fourth holding off Stephens who took fifth.
  
  
Race 2
  
The R/O moved the windward Mark to the right following a further shift to south/south east.  The breeze was fading and the cloud cover building.
  
At the start it was Donovan who took the pin end of the line and carried his momentum out to sea. Hanmore tacked across to the right leading a group into the shore whilst Connelly followed a middle of the course strategy which looked promising.  Unfortunately for Hanmore the course was laid to close to the shore so he was forced to tack out earlier than anticipated otherwise he would have bean collecting seashells.  Donovan was the man at the windward mark first, Connelly hung onto third, Hanmore fifth having thrown in two extra tacks.  
  
The majority of the fleet stood on out to sea on starboard to make the most of the steadier breeze off shore.  At the downwind gate Donovan was still in control and Connelly had moved up to second.   For the next beat Donovan chose the inshore track this time whilst Connelly split tacks and headed out to sea for more pressure, as the beat progressed it looked as though he made a wise move with occasional twin wiring in a fresher breeze and at the next windward mark Connelly had moved in to top place.  As Donovan approached the weather mark Elmore piled in from seaward and slipped a tack in under his lee bow but was overhauled by Donovan again down the spacer mark reach.  Hanmore had also made a large gain from seaward and pulled up to take fourth.
  
The front runners again chose to head out to sea for better pressure and bigger surfing waves, however, the weather was changing with light rain moving across the course from a different direction to the prevailing breeze which had become much lighter and patchier.  Not much had changed position wise by the leeward gate again and all but a few headed out to the left again for more breeze.  Donovan put the pressure on Connelly and managed to climb up to weather of him, as Connelly tacked on the port layline he was crossed by Donovan who then flopped over on top of Connelly.  The wind machine now developed a technical fault as Connelly was first to park out to sea.  Then the cat and mouse games began. 
  
Meanwhile, back on the right hand side of the course Kevin Turner and Dan Tindale who were one of only two boats taking the inshore option suddenly began to look tasty in a holding breeze which had clocked right favouring them big time when they tacked over to starboard, but then parked.  By the windward mark though Turner slipped round ahead of Donovan closely pursued by Ready and Nigel Lynn crewed by Alan Nesbitt in fourth.  It was starting to get real messy out there !
  
At the spacer mark the leaders wisely gybed to port to take the new wind direction which was lifting them down to the leeward gate.  The leap frog luck games came in to play as the leaders picked up their own private gusts taking it in turns at the front !  At the gate Turner managed to pull back his lead and sailed back upwind towards the shore, the breeze was still swinging right and Lynne was first to react by tacking immediately on the starboard hand leeward gate buoy allowing him to squirt away directly towards the windward mark which he was laying in one, but again it was all about getting in a bit of breeze and staying there.  Frustrating as it was for the competitors it was good spectating watching the lead constantly changing !  
  
Lynn hung in to take the windward mark, Donnovan just slipped in to second followed by Turner, the spacer leg was now a downwind leg, the downwind leg was now a fetch !  The rain started clearing but the now south westerly breeze had become extremely light and fickle.   Lynne continued to sail consistently to take the gun comfortably but the drama was still to unfold at the leeward gate and last sprint to the finish with multiple collisions and mark rounding infringements in the almost non existent cyclonic breeze, it was chaos out their !
  
All was in vain however, yet more controversy ensued after the race was finished when a protest was lodged against the Race Officer once all were ashore requesting the race be thrown due to the unfair conditions experienced which contravened the fundamental rules of sailing (get your rule books out folks !). The R/O conceded without a hearing and duly abandoned the race to be re-sailed at a later date !  
  
For those who lost a good result a smile was back on their faces after a fantastic Commodores reception with great food, live music and loads of beer to drown out the noise of the heavy rain beating down on the tents and RV’s !!!
  
  
Day 2 Sunday 20th August
  
  
Sunday dawned overcast with a light North Westerly, the Race Officer laid a course on time but decided to postpone due to the shifting winding direction.  This proved a wise move as the breeze began to swing and finally settled from the East.
  
Race 3
  
The fleet finally got away after a suitable period of postponement in a light non trapezable but sailable breeze.  Donovan was yet again fastest off the line initially taking the left hand side of the course.   The Kents were first to tack across onto port  followed by many of the front runners, as they headed right they appeared not to notice that they were being steadily headed as there was just open sea ahead of them, to make matters worse the breeze began to fail too.  
  
Ready was the only boat who tacked back from the right side heading pack when the header hit and his financial outlay on a decent compass paid back big time when he was first at the windward mark closely pursued by Elmore, Turner Senior and Lloyd Turner crewed by Amanda Peters in fourth place which was  remarkable considering they were the only boat to have gone immediately right off the start line, stayed way out on the outer edge of the course to everyone else and managed to find their own band of fresh breeze out there which made up for the extra distance they had sailed.
  
Ready chose the middle of the course for the downwind leg and pulled out some distance on Elmore and played a cover game on any loose cannons behind in the very fickle conditions. As the leaders approached the downwind gate the R/O decided to shorten the race to a one lap wonder due to the failing conditions.
  
Ready hung on to first followed by Elmore, Ramsey who had a stormer of a downwind leg to take third, Turner senior and then Turner Junior in fifth.     
  
  
Race 4 
  
Following another postponement to allow a new breeze to settle from the North East the fleet got away in semi trapezing conditions. Local Marshall took the pin end and sped off to outer reaches of the left hand side of the course before eventually tacking over to cover the rest of the fleet who had mainly chosen middle or hard right. For a while they were looking good with steady pressure but at the mark it was Ready leading the main pack coming in from the right who took the windward mark. With Marshall tacking into line just behind followed by Turner Senior and Stephens in fourth.
  
The majority initially stood on after the spacer taking the left side of the course.  Turner turned on the extra deep downwind gadget and took a line inside everyone which at the first gybe point put him in the lead.  After a couple more gybes Ready appeared to get his downwind boat speed heading sorted and took the lead back. The breeze had been up and down on this leg with a few holes, Ready took the gate ahead of a new group which had pulled through from the middle right taking the upper hand with Dave Kiddle crewed by Sue Nelson second,  Rob and Annette Stahl in third, Stephens hanging on to fourth. 
  
Stahl tacked left early followed by Ready, then Kiddle who took the port hand side of the gate.  Stahl then made made a break for the right, Ready immediately peeled over to cover but was forced back onto port by Kiddle who had climbed unnoticed on his weather hip on starboard.  By this time the breeze had made another move to the left but the R/O had already reacted with a re-positioning of the windward mark during the downwind leg.
  
At the windward mark Ready took the lead back again followed closely by Stahl and Marshall who managed to pull herself back up to the top three with Donovan in fourth.
  
On the downwind leg the majority went middle right, the pressure was on the leaders as the R/O chose to shorten the course.  An interesting battle ensued between Stahl and Ready and after a couple of gybes it was Stahl who took the gun to be the events next championship race winning virgins, followed by Ready, Donovan went in overdrive to pull up to third from Marshall in fourth.
  
  
Race 5 
  
For this race the sky had become overcast, the breeze a force two from slightly north of east.  The line was committee boat end favoured causing the fleet to pile in with the result of a general recall.  The R/O dusted off the black flag and gave it an airing for the next start as it was getting late in the day !
  
Ready was hot off the line and to the windward mark first followed closely by Marshall.  Downwind Ready gybed on to port taking the right hand side of the course, the majority of the fleet stood on heading left for approx 400 metres before gybing over.  During this leg the breeze became unsettled as rain began to move in across the course.  Ready’s early gybe allowed him to stay out of the worst of the fluctuating conditions coupled with a wind shift to the left (north east) , he arrived at the leeward gate with a very comfortable lead in hand leaving the rest of the fleet floundering in chop and light patchy breeze.  Marshall stayed cool and took second at the downwind gate.
  
During the next beat the wind switched off and the rain became more persistent so the R/O rightly decided to can the race !
  
  
Day 3 Monday 21st August
  
Race 6
  
Conditions were bright but light so the R/O opted for a postponement to allow things to settle down outside the harbour.  Again a good call as racing finally commenced in a steady north easterly breeze with just enough strength for twin trapezing.
  
The fleet got away cleanly from the committee boat end favoured line, the majority taking the middle and hard left of the course.  Those few who headed right, out to seaward, appeared to find stronger breeze but were experiencing a more adverse tidal flow.
  
Kevin Turner went hard left to take advantage of the shelter from the tide offered by the breakwater for as long as possible which appeared to be paying, but at the weather mark it was Martin Andrews followed by Ready then Tim Roberts third who had found yet more breeze out on the right to take the lead.
  
Andrews immediately gybed at the spacer mark to head back out to sea in what was now a favouring tidal flow, Turner followed leaving the bulk of the fleet standing on heading left course side on starboard before finally flipping over.  Towards the end of the run as the fleet converged again.   Ready crossed Andrews rather than slam dunk and took the lead, this proved a bad move as Andrews was allowed to take control of the gate being ahead and to windward of Ready after his Ready’s layline gybe and sailed over him to take the gate and the lead back.
  
Upwind Andrews took the left side of the course this time up the shore allowing Ready and Turner senior to go right out into the tide. Andrews tacked over to cover and headed up the middle of the course.  As he converged with Ready and Turner who were now heading on starboard he found he had lost his lead and dropped to third.  At the windward mark Ready had pulled out a nice lead, but Turner had tacked too soon and could not lay the mark allowing Andrews to move back up to second. Roberts and Stahl had also pulled up the fleet in fourth and fifth.
  
Ready played safe with a middle of the course line downwind.  Turner came back at Andrews and soaked inside his line, when they both gybed Turner had gained the upper hand and taken back his second place again.  These positions remained unchanged at the leeward gate.
  
Ready chose the right hand side of the course for the next windward leg playing a covering game even though the wind had veered right.  Only Elmore and Turner Junior reacted to the shift tacking over to the left but for them the breeze was weaker and despite the better heading and a jump up the fleet it was VMG for the leaders on the right again which kept them out of trouble.  Ready lead again at the windward mark with the previous top four remaining in the same order however Turner Junior had jumped up to fifth.
  
Downwind Ready played safe again to take the race, Turner senior second, Andrews third, the only major change on the leg was Turner Junior who had a great burst of downwind sailing to take fourth from Roberts.
  
  
Race 7
  
Conditions for the next race were characterised by a light east north east breeze with a clearing sky.  The fleet got away at 13.45 hrs, the committee boat end being favoured. Elmore looked to be first out of the blocks with some good speed. Lynne went to the extreme left of the course staying out of the adverse tide which paid as he took the windward mark from Elmore followed by Ready and Stephens in fourth.
  
At the end of the downwind leg the leading group of boats had bunched right up, Lynne maintained first placed, Ready had moved up to second, Elmore, Stephens then the Kents just behind in fifth.
  
The top three rounded up onto port and headed out to seaward initially until tacking over to starboard to cover the Kents who were slipping back up the left hand shore side which was favoured on the first lap.  When the pack converged it was the Kents who had taken the lead from Lynne and Ready, Andrews had also slipped up the left moving into sixth.
  
For the second downwind leg Ready went into attack mode dropping deep inside the tracks of the pack around him, then gybed over to cover Stephens who opted to make more of the favourable tide, the Kents were the last to gybe over having stayed left inshore.
  
At the gate it was the Kents again who had stayed in the best breeze and split tacks with Lynne who had also had a good downwind leg.  Lynne flopped over to starboard to go with the Kents back up the left side again. Elmo and Ready split tacks too at the downwind gate, Ready being slow to come over to starboard tack to take the favoured side.  
  
Kent was first to tack onto the port lay line but was crossed by Lynne who stood on a little longer before making his move, Elmore and Ready tacked before the layline.  Lynne picked up a slightly better lane of breeze being that bit further to windward and took the windward mark and the lead back, Ready had also found a decent line of breeze too on the outside and managed to pull through to take second at the mark from the Kents closely followed by Stephens then Elmore in fifth.
  
At the spacer Lynne gybed immediately to take the favourable tide but played a clever cover game and flicked back to stay in touch with the chasing pack.  This was a wise move as the shorten course flag was up.  At the finish Lynne held onto first followed by Ready who was being pressed hard by Stephens who had stepped up the pace taking out the Kents who took fourth from Elmore who had Stahl in overdrive on the last leg closing up to sixth.
  
Race 8
  
Conditions improved further with a clear sky and increased wind from slightly south of east which allowed some twin wiring.  The fleet got away at 13.00hrs on a line which favoured the middle to pin end of the line allowing the boats a bit more space as they spread along its lenght.  This time Lynne was quickest out of the blocks buoyed up by his win in the previous race along with Andrews who powered away to the left side of the course.
  
Andrews was first to tack on to the port layline crossing behind Lynne’s sterns but at the windward mark he took first place from Lynne followed by Ready and the Kents.  The leading back chose to stay in towards the shore (breakwater) in the increasing breeze.  At the leeward gate Andrews just held onto his lead taking the starboard side closely followed by Lynne who split for the port end of the gate who then tacked over to starboard following Andrews up the left hand side but on his windward quarter.  Kents were third with Stahl slipping back up the fleet in fourth.
  
Lynne went into attack mode tacking early onto port ready in order to take a controlling starboard layline for the windward mark, Andrews stood on hard left until he hit the port layline. Donovan was also going into overdrive with the building breeze and also took the port layline looking quite threatening.  At the top of the course Lynne tacked for the windward mark and crossed Andrews to take the lead.  The Kents powered in from the right hand side and Andrews had to tack underneath them, Donovan took fourth from Ready who was closing up in fifth.
  
Lynne gybed immediately at the spacer followed by the majority however Andrews stood on for longer before gybing over to port.  Lynne saw the threat and gybed back onto port to cover, then back to starboard under Andrew’s lee.  At the gate Andrews had closed up on Lynne, each taking an opposite end of the gate, Andrews made a bad rounding which allowed Lynne to gain a vital couple of boat lengths, Ready had burst through downwind to take third spot from the Kents followed by Donovan.
  
The top six runners split evenly up the beat, Lynne leading and taking the left and Ready taking the second group right.  The breeze was building yet further and the downhauls were coming on yet more, the tide less dominant, this was building into a real nail biter of a race !
  
Lynne hung onto to his lead, Ready came screaming in from the right to take second. Kents managed to take third, Marshall appeared from the left crash taking under Donovan to take fourth, Andrews had slipped to sixth.  Following the rounding of the spreader all initially stood on on starboard gybe, Ready dropping his bows down deep again to take an inside attacking line.  Lynne flicked over to port first to cover Ready who instantly gybed to weather of Lynne and looked marginally ahead and in a controlling position however the Kents were nipping at his heels.  Stephens was also coming through downwind and started giving Donovan a hard time 
  
At the leeward gate Ready was looking tasty, but them it all went wrong !  His boom appeared to have detached itself from the clew of the main and whilst he and Ryan attempted a repair job six boats slipped through at the gate before they got going again. Lynne stayed in control and headed out to sea before covering the Kents, Donovan and Stephen who had all gone left.  As the leading  boats closed the shore the breeze appeared to falter, Lynne tacked out early before the port layline to stay in the better lane of breeze. At the windward mark he maintained his lead from the Kents, Stephen, Donovan and Marshall who had gone hard right up the beat.  
  
A downwind procession proceeded towards the port layline, Stephen went into attack mode gybing earlier than the leaders followed by Donovan who had picked up his pace and both took out the Kents.  At the downwind gate it was Stephen who had taken the lead followed by Lynne, Donovan, Kents then Marshall in fifth, all headed out to sea on the right side upwind.  The Kents tacked over early taking the middle of the course.  But at the top mark Stephen maintained control of his lead followed by Lynne, Donovan and Marshall, the Kents gamble did not pay.
  
Downwind Stephen played a safe covering game with his pursuers managing to extend his lead further to take the gun and a well earned victory and become another nationals race win virgin !  Lynne was pressed hard by Donovan all the way downwind but managed to hold him off just to take second with Donovan third and Marshall fourth, Kents fifth and a notable last lap burst of speed gave Hamish Ramsay an excellent finish in sixth.
  
This was by far the best race of the event !
  
  
Tuesday 22nd August
  
Race 9
  
The final day had dawned and the game was play on with a North Westerly force 3 and sunny spells.  The windward mark was close to the shore which made interesting spectating from the local beach,  particularly with a slightly higher vantage point revealing the offshore gusts moving down the course.  It was going to be tough on the grey matter out there.
  
Straight after the gun the fleet split in two, those who came inshore up the left hand side of the beat took a gamble with patchier wind bands but less tide.  This who went right appeared to have steadier and more constant breeze which was looking like the better option.  However there appeared to be a very favourable lift for those left handers having tacked close to the shoreline and at the windward mark it was beach combers who came out on top lead by locals Khami and Helen, closely followed  by Ritchie Hanmore, Dave Kiddle and Rob Stahl.
  
Downwind the leaders chose the inshore route again which initially looked good, until the breeze began to fail all around them, Marshall spotted the new breeze filling on the right side and cut her losses ducking a few transoms on the way to get in the new breeze, Lloyd Turner also gybed over but gybed back to stay in the middle ground of the course .  At the leeward gate Turner had pulled off a great move taking the lead, Marshall steamed into second, Kiddle hung on to third, Hanmore fourth and Tim Roberts, who also took the middle ground slipped up to fifth.. 
  
Turner took the left hand side of the course initially before taking the middle ground again and loosely covering  Marshall who went right, out to sea, with most of the fleet following, Hanmore tried his chances and went beach coming hard left again.  This time it paid for Marshall who took the lead at the windward mark, Roberts pulled up to second having taken a right.middle course, Turner dropped to third , Kiddle fourth, Hanmore just hung on to fifth having spent too much time making sandcastles.
  
The breeze really was becoming a hard to follow, it was snakes and ladders time.  Downwind the majority lead by Marshall bashed out to the right side to take some more favourable tide.  Turner gybed back and played is middle of the road trick again picking up a superb puff taking him deep with good pressure which allowed him to snatch back the lead from Marshall, Roberts held third from Kiddle.  Again the majority opted to bang out to sea up the right again, Hanmore needed an ice cream and went hard left. 
  
At the top mark the leaders parked in a large whole temporarily, this allowed the fleet to close right up, plus a shift to the right benefited those who had not yet reached the starboard layline.  At the rounding it was Turner again, Marshall, Roberts in third , Kiddle and Nigel Lynne who had pulled up to fifth.  The shorten course flag was up so it was a duel between Turner and Marshal to the finish.
  
Marshall gybed inside Turner and headed out to seaward, Turner stayed cool and dug deep sailing lower than anyone else, this allowed him to avoid a new band of breeze which headed (downwind) his close rivals out of danger for him and he deservedly took the gun.  Roberts who gybed later than Turner managed to take second, Kiddle passed the gate in third but had to complete a 360’ turn allowing Marshall to take third and Lynne fourth. Few ! That was tough !
  
Race 10
  
Now that seven races had been completed the double discard came into effect, overall positions radically changed giving Ready an easier comfort zone, the fight was now on for second place overall with nine boats separated by just six points going into the final race.  This is what 5.9 sailing is all about !
  
The wind had moderated across the course with non trapezing conditons but the sunny spells remained.  The breeze had stayed generally in the North Westerly direction.
  
The fleet got away cleanly at 12.40 pm and the majority split hard right out to sea to try and keep in the steadier breeze.  This was the better option and Nigel Lynne took the first leg followed by Kevin Turner, John Donnovan third, Marshall fourth .
  
Following the spacer the leading pack chose to stand on heading to the shore on starboard, Lynne was first to gybe across having picked up a private heading gust of his own allowing him to put some distance in on the pack and held the lead to the downwind gate.   Unfortunately it was not to be for Lynne again, a major wind shift warranted a major course change leaving the Race Officer no option but to stop the race, with only a matter of minutes to go before the start time cut off rule for the last day’s racing came into effect the fleet was sent home.
  
  
Andy Webb

Results

Pos	Sail	Helm	Crew	Club	R1	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9	Pts
1	423	John Ready	Ryan Crawford	Stokes Bay	1	1	2	1	2	9	7	7
2	455	Nigel Lynn	Alan Nesbitt	Helensburgh	7	7	17	8	1	2	4	21
3	374	Kevin Turner	Dan Tindale	Island	13	4	5	2	8	13	6	25
4	1	Lloyd Turner	Amanda Peters	Island	23	5	9	4	15	8	1	27
5	406	Tim Roberts	Chris Smith	Runswick Bay	9	20	6	5	10	7	2	29
6	438	Kami Marshall	Helen Scott	South Shields	10	14	4	13	9	4	3	30
7	424	Neil Stephen	Claire Andrews	Peterhead	5	11	11	12	3	1	12	31
8	457	Nick Elmore	Howard Warrington	Thorpe Bay	2	2	13	9	5	15	16	31
9	375	Martin Andrews	Peter Coultard	North Berwick	16	6	7	3	7	10	9	32
10	156	John Donovan	Tony Avery	Starcross	12	8	3	11	11	3	11	36
11	431	Hamish Ramsay	Stuart Buchanan	Royal Tay	14	3	8	6	14	6	13	36
12	358	David Kiddle	Sue Nelson	Stokes Bay	6	9	10	10	6	11	5	36
13	458	David Kent	Ian Kent	Largs	8	10	12	17	4	5	14	39
14	234	Robert Stahl	Annette Chatten	Thorpe Bay	11	16	1	7	13	12	10	41
15	456	Richard Hanmore	Matthew Gregg	Stone	3	15	16	14	20	23	8	56
16	185	Matthew Lee	Craig English	Loch Lomond	15	12	14	18	12	14	17	67
17	436	Mark Mawditt	Mark Wood	Island	17	13	15	16	16	17	18	77
18	264	Darren Wood	Rob Page	Island	19	17	18	15	18	16	15	81
19	342	Shona Anderson	Ali Mathieson	Helensburg	18	18	19	19	17	18	19	90
20	432	Neil Connelly	Andy Ramsey	Stone	4	23	23	23	23	23	23	96
21	190	James Larmuth	Emma Larmuth	YDSC	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	115
21	411	Kevin Skinner	Mandy Cox	Minnis Bay	23	23	23	23	23	23	23	115

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