Keelboats in the Solent

Mary McBride reports on the latest round of the Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat series

Last weekend it was the turn of the Cowes Corinthian Yacht Club to organise the Red Funnel Cowes Keelboat Series, which so far this season has fallen foul of hot, sunny weather with several races being lost.

With two races scheduled for each day, the start line on Saturday was set up in the vicinity of the Bramble Bank. A light north easterly breeze saw the Etchells fleet start on time, followed by a large fleet of Darings and, finally, six Dragons. Many of the fleet of Dragons were away at Torquay for the Edinburgh Cup.

After two legs of the course, a 90-degree wind shift made the second beat a reach and race control, aka chief race officer Ian Lallow, decided to shorten the races at the end of the third leg. Quickly re-shaping the course and start line, all boats were away on Race 2 within minutes and with a south westerly breeze which had increased to 16 knots, exciting and close racing was had by all.

Darius led the Daring fleet from the start and fended off a strong challenge from Dauntless to finish first. In the Dragons, Caramba held off a late challenge from
Stampede.

Sunday brought squally conditions with predominantly south west winds gusting to 25 knots. Two races were completed with the Daring class fielding 20 boats. Dauntless won both races in the Daring class and Caramba did the double in the Dragon class, with the veteran Gem gaining two second places.

Results

Darings - Saturday
Race 1:
1 Darius (Parr, Dunleavy & Kenyon),
2 Destroyer (Hardy, Leask & Mathews),
3 Decanter (Saffery, Cooper).

Race 2:
1 Darius,
2 Dauntless (Peckham, Porter & Carver)
3 Devius (Leech, Cassell & Bracken).

Sunday
Race 1
1 Dauntless
2 Decanter
3 Destroyer.

Race 2:
1 Dauntless,
2 Decoy (Norton, Chaplin & Goodwin)
3 Decanter.

Etchells

Saturday, Race 1:
1 Mayhem (Halliday & Daughton)
2 1039
3 Best Make (Torrens)

Race 2:
1 Mayhem,
2 Best Make,
3 1039.

Sunday, Race 1:
1: Best Make,
2 Mayhem.

Race 2:
1 Best Make.(only finisher).

Dragons
Saturday, Race 1:
1 Caramba (Britain)
2 Apalala (Caws & Field)
3 Stampede (Payne, Mortimer, Richardson & Ross).

Race 2:
1 Caramba,
2 Apalala,
3 Stampede.

Sunday, Race 1:
1 Caramba,
2 Gem (Smith),
3 Asa (Hancocks).

Race 2:
1 Caramba,
2 Gem,
3 Apalala.