2004 - Hoylake - 26/27 June

Class 3

Saturday: It's a long time since we had a regatta where there was too much wind, but that was the case at Hoylake on the first day of racing. The wind picked up through the early part of the morning until it was gusting 30 mph off the land and then came the rain. By midday however the wind was easing and the DOP decided that it was safe to race and so we started at 1 o'clock.

With the 5's racing first we could check out the course and identify any difficult areas. There weren't any - the beach was smooth and flat although a bit soft and the racing was apart from the start more or less reaching at high speed up and down the beach. This was classic drag racing with little opportunity to pass other yachts unless they made a mistake, which some pilots were prone to do as they came too far inshore on the short upwind leg before the reach to the finish line.

The wind gusted throughout the afternoon anywhere between 15 and 25 mph but was never a problem as most pilots set up their yachts correctly for the conditions and had no problems, resulting in some close racing across the field of 10 yachts.

Sunday provided the expected change in wind direction although with little reduction in strength, but the sun came out to provide some warmth and the beach having dried out more overnight was in good condition. With a south westerly wind blowing a steady 18 - 20 mph and the course markers moved further out towards the sea it was all change for the pilots. Instead of reaching it was now a tacking course with fast downwind legs through the finish line and down to the downwind mark. The upwind leg offered a chance to try the banks for the brave few whilst the majority of the fleet came inshore to tack slowly through the soft sand to the upwind mark.

The final result was a win for Steve Borrill with Derek Nixon in second and Richard Austin third.

Steve Borrill