Good breeze for keelboats

Mary McBride reports on the latest in the Red Funnel-sponsored series

After a frustrating early part of the season when Red Funnel's Cowes Keelboat Championship either sustained no wind or very light winds, the Royal London Yacht Club's weekend enjoyed Force 4 to 5 winds on both days. In fact the first race each day was sailed in moderate Force 4 winds but this soon blew up to the top end of Force 5 on both days as the incoming sea breeze reinforced the gradient wind right across the Solent.

The usual windward-leeward format was adopted using the new RLYC Day-Glo orange buoys which were widely praised by the competitors as far more visible than other types of inflatable racing marks. "At last we can see the marks towards which we are racing." said one competitor. In the Etchells Class the weekend was dominated by Tim Daughton's Mayhem, who won three out of the four races. In one race he was forced to retire due to damage leaving Wobbegong sailed by D Flynn to take line honours.

The Daring Class produced consistent results from Giles Peckham's Dauntless with two firsts, a second and a third in a 20-boat fleet. The Dragon Class produced a whitewash by the boat Princess Jalina, sailed by D. Palmer. with no less than four
firsts in hard conditions for this type of dayboat.

Results

Saturday

Etchells:
Race 1:
1st Mayhem ( T Daughton),
2nd Woobegong (D Flynn),
3rd Blue Genes (D Lees)

Race 2:
1st Woobegong,
2nd Blue Genes,
3rd Evelina (P Kelsey)

Darings:
Race 1: 1st Dauntless (G A Peckham, P I Porter & M B Carver),
2nd Audax (M Bilbo, F Haynes),
3rd Division Belle (C N C Hill, M C Sillars, Major B J W Green, J H Reynolds)

Race 2:
1st Double Knot ( J W Hackman, C I C Mackinnon, A J Crean, G Crewdson)
2nd Dreamer (Mrs L A Perry, R Perry).
3rd Dauntless

Dragons:
Race 1:
1st Princess Jalina (D Palmer).
2nd Stampede (N Payne, J Mortimer, S Richardson, D Ross),
3rd Apalala (C Caws, C P Field, E E Field, J Field)

Race 2:
1st Princess Jalina,
2nd Aimee (J & G Bailey),
3rd Caramba (C Brittain)

Sunday
Etchells:
Race 1:
1st Mayhem,
2nd Wobbegong,
3rd Sail No 105

Race 2:
1st Mayhem,
2nd Wobbegong,
3rd Palaver (R Thompson)

Darings:
Race 1:
1st Darius (T M Parr, M A Dunleavy, C S V Kenyon)
2nd Dauntless,
3rd Defiant (C A G Perry, Lord Kingsland, R A Aisher, P L F French)

Race 2:
1st Dauntless,
2nd Defiant,
3rd Darius

Dragons
Race 1:
1st Princess Jalina,
2nd Stampede,
3rd Caramba.

Race 2:
1st Princess Jalina,
2nd Virago (P G Nicholson, P D Lloyd, T Squire-Sanders)
3rd Caramba.