SB3s at Royal Southern

Dan Griffey reports on the action

With a scary forecast and leaden grey skies, 10 Laser SB3’s entered the first Royal Southern YC monthly sportsboat regatta of 2003. None of the boats who returned from Brest on Monday made it, so that bodes well for fleet size on the day when they all turn up together.

With none of the foreign travellers present, racing was nevertheless as fierce as usual. The SB3’s have their own class start (and for the series) and sailed short, predominantly upwind downwind courses. The combination of laid marks and Solent racing marks proved a challenge for some. I’ll never overrule my crew and follow Stuart Hawthorne again!

Paul Bayliss, helming Stuart Hawthorns Wee Jamarama was quick off the line in all 3 races, but did not have it all their own way with some especially dodgy navigation (see above). Conditions varied from a little downwind soaking to full on brown trousers planing. As the day progressed, the wipeouts multiplied until the last run of the last race. There almost everyone either wiped out or managed to get the kite down as the hooner hit them arriving at the bottom mark. The dodgiest bit was yet to come! Beating the half mile back to the finish was as hairy as it gets, dodging the fleet of out of control 707’s submarining in the opposite direction.

Apart from the Hawthorne/ Bayliss roadshow, other performances of note were:
The new Gul sponsored boat, a solid performance to take second on the day. The Fatima Blush lightweights obviously flew downwind to take 3rd. In 4th, breathless and very busy was Rich Beaman, all the way from St Mawes, and sailing 2 up. Rumour has it that these 2 weighed more than the Fatima’s but just did not have enough hands.
Sunday was gonged off with a very big day forecast.

Place Boatname

1 3014 Wee Jamarama
2 3053 Gul
3 3036 Fatima Blush
4 3026 Cardinal Puff
5 3028 Bandit
6 3010 Stress Bunny
7 3051 J Fawcett
8 3021 Va Va Voom
9 3027 Smee Agen
10 3035 Sublime