Herne Bay Sailing Club

 
 
The race team were on top form having to deal with ‘Avon’ dying on the water and the members of the fleet capsizing due to strong winds. With Avon out of action ‘Tango’ laid the course and ‘Humber’ was pressed into quick action by Martin Poole and the French Connection (Antoine Pennec and Crew).   Just goes to show that we can still run a good race even when the chips are down.
Due to the high winds and the lack of water near the windward mark (Which was outside the 8 knot marks) the Contender’s centre-board hit the sea bed and caused a capsize that ended his race.  Brian and Maria Golton also hit something just south of the windward mark and had to retire with boat damage.  The rest of the fleet continued but the strong wind saw a few more capsizes and retirements.  It was Paul Smith and Tom Daniels in Dai’s Laser 2000 who blasted into a good lead being the first boat around the windward mark and led the rest of the fleet from there.   Duncan Oliver & Guy Alexander in the another Laser 2000 chased them throughout the race but  the Laser 4.7’s stayed too close for comfort with Hannah Golton and Ross Blackledge sailing a great race to be in the frame at the end.  Special praise goes to these two youngsters for sailing so well in these conditions, especially as Hannah had just arrived back from a successful Topper Inland Nationals the day before.  
It looked very much as if Paul and Tom had done enough to win having sailed some electrifying off wind legs in the Laser 2000, but Hannah beat them on handicap.  Is there no stopping these Laser sailors?  Special mention must also go to the Sanders Babes who sailed their Dart 16 like veterans in these strong winds and big waves and to all the race crew for setting a good course and ensuring there was safety cover after the ordeals at the start of the race.
The lack of water inshore is becoming a problem that we will have to address soon, as there is definitely a change to the shelves on the sea bed inshore to that of previous seasons.    This was first spotted by Martin Poole with his pictures in the last edition of Splice. 
 
Result
1st Hannah Golton - Laser 4.7
2nd Paul / Tom Daniels -  Laser 2000
3rd  Ross Blackledge - Laser 4.7