Bart Simpson Challenge and The Equinox Cup Sunday 18th September 2016

This afternoon's racing is the "Bart Simpson" Challenge and the Equinox Cup.  The Bart Simpson Challenge or Bart's Bash will be taking place in quite a few Clubs throughout the U.K.  This event comprises of three races.
Fourteen boats are milling around the start line whilst the fifteenth - the 29er is at the bottom of the slipway just in time to join the Race. The fleet comprises of Lasers, Laser Radials, Laser 4.7's a Laser 2000, RS300 and the 29er.
Whilst the majority of the fleet are favouring an inshore course led by Graham Harbord in his Laser who has had a flyer of a start, three boats have broken away from the fleet and a favouring a course further out to sea.
The 29er has gone into the lead, they have sailed quite a long way past SP1 and have now tacked down on to it, both the 29er and Laser 2000 22175 have rounded the mark along with Laser 165710 but whilst the Laser is sailing a more direct route toward SP2 the 29er and Laser 2000 are sailing parallel to the shore and at present the Laser 2000 appears to be leading, the 29er has now put in a tack toward SP2 and has moved ahead of the Laser.
The Laser and 29er round SP2 together and whilst the Laser is heading out to sea, the 29er has tacked and once again sailing along parallel with the shore.  Third to round SP2 is Laser 161757, then Laser Radial 165413, Laser 161786, Laser 172009.  On this beat up to SP1, the sea has quite a swell on it, first to round SP1 is the 29er, then Laser 165710, on rounding the mark up goes the Red Spinnaker of the 29er as they sail down to SP2 and once again they increase their lead over the Laser, on approaching SP2, the spinnaker is taken down and they round the mark and head on to the beat.
The Race Officer has taken the decision to shorten the Race, so the sound signal is sounded and the Shortened Course flag raised.

Results.
1st, Laser 165710 Colin Smith
2nd Laser 161757 Allan McNeil
3rd Laser Radial 165413 Gary Danielwicz

Race 2
The fleet are sailing quite close together at the start of this second race, there is no overall leader stretching away as of yet.  Laser 165710 has reached SP1 and rounded the mark, closely followed by the 29er who now appears to be neck and neck with the Laser.  The Laser  2000 22175 appears to have moved up into the lead at present, the RS300 of Douglas Oliver and Jason Herhily, after a series of capsizes has retired from the race.
In the lead now is the 29er who has sailed passed the Laser 2000, however, once again it is nip and tuck as the boats head toward SP2, Laser 165710 has managed to get ahead of the 29er and Laser 2000 followed by Laser 208570, the 29er rounds the mark in 3rd place, fourth is Laser 161757 Allan McNeil, Laser 2000 22175 Laurie Dengate and Mags Gawecka, Laser 161757 Harvey Burwin, Laser 42839 Olaf Throndsen.
On the beat up to SP1 it is the Laser that has the lead at present but the 29er is catching up, the boats are having to sail a long way past the mark in order to round it, the 29er has managed to get ahead but having to put in another tack to the make the mark, the Laser has managed to regain the lead and round the mark, the 29er in second place has raised it's Red Spinnake, in 3rd place is the Laser 2000 22175, these boats are sailing down from SP1 toward the shore whereas the Laser  gybed almost immediately and this may have paid off as he has stolen a march on these two boats.
As the Laser and the 29er approach SP2, the Laser has rounded the mark first and increased it's lead, the 29er is in second, the Laser 2000 in third with a Laser not too far behind.  Once again the Race Officer has shortened the course.

Results
1st Laser 165710 Colin Smith
2nd Laser 161757 Allan McNeil
3rd Laser 4.7 154831 Matt Bradfield

Race 3
Following a break for lunch, there has been a change of course for final race of the day.  Fourteen boats are out on the water for the start of this race, the boats are quite tightly bunched together.
Whilst the Lasers are all tightly packed together, the 29er has come round the fleet and crept up into the lead,  as the boats beat up the coast before tacking out to SP3, the Laser 2000 2041 has moved up into second place.  The 29er is still holding on to the lead at the moment but has yet to put in another tack for the mark.  the Laser 2000's are neck and neck and may reach SP3 before the 29er, in fact one of the Laser 2000's has tacked in front of the 29er and gone into the lead.
So leading the fleet is Laser 2000 2041, closely followed by the 29er, Laser 165710 and Laser 2000 22175.  As all the boats are heading toward Heron North, the Laser has rounded the mark first, closely followed by Laser 2000, 2041, then the 29er, vying for fourth place are Laser 2000 22175 and Laser 161757, who has managed to pull ahead of the Laser 2000.
The lead boat is Laser 165710, then Laser 2000 2041 who has raised it's blue spinnaker, followed by the 29er, the 29er appears to have moved ahead of the Laser 2000 and the Laser, however, it will become evident at the SP1 mark as to who is the lead boat, it is the 29er, then the Laser 2000 2041 who does appear to have the edge over Laser and rounds SP1 in second place, Laser 165710 in 3rd place.
At the start of the second beat, the first three boats are quite well spread out and it is difficult to predict who will make it to SP3 first, the 29er has favoured a course further out to sea and it looks like this move has paid off, the Laser 2000 is still ahead of Laser 165710.
The 29er has rounded SP3 first and up goes the Red Spinnaker, the Laser 2000 and Laser have yet to round the mark, the Laser 2000 is in second place after rounding the mark and it too puts up the blue spinnaker, then the Laser has now got round the mark and all three are once again heading for Heron North. 
The Race Officer has shortened the course, first to round Heron North is the 29er, then the Laser 2000 2041, Laser 165710, Laser 161757, Laser 2000 22175. First boat to finish is the 29er.

Results
1st Laser 165710 Colin Smith
2nd Laser 2000 2041 Brian and Maria Golton
3rd Laser 161757 Allen McNeil.