Race 6 - Dave's view

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 Another winter series weekend successfully negotiated, and overall what an absolutely excellent weekend! Both Richard and I have decided (again) that it would be a fascinating scientific experiment to see what it would be like to sail a HWS race without a hangover. To date this has never happened. In all likelihood it won't, but none the less would be rather nice to wake up on Sunday not as rough as a badger. Anyway to business.

Saturday dawned wet and nasty in Hemel Hempstead, but the forecast promised that the cold front would move through in the morning and the rain would stop. This was not before Viv and Andy, Phil and Duncan, and I drove through what was basically the Solent being dropped on various parts of the UK motorway network. However by the time we'd assembled in Hamble the front was gone, blue sky and thundery looking threatening clouds were the order of the day. Full marks to Viv and Andy for being the first to Hampshire, unfortunately I have to deduct most of those marks for deciding they were so early there was time for a cooked breakfast en route and subsequently being late. After a stewards enquiry the points have been reinstated because Viv did the shopping again this week (I owe you again, sorry...).

Saturday was a herbal infusion of trimming practice, timing starts, close reaching practice, dodging thundery squalls (succesfully) and drinking gin (again no problems here). Elaine came to play on Saturday, methinks we gave away too many of our secrets given X-Rated beat us on corrected time. Also very disappointed in Russell, if you are going to try and sabotage another boat's crew member with alcohol on Friday night you must do the job properly - this is something we should be able to excel at.

Saturday night was another stunner. We can now confirm that the food at the Whyte Hart (aka the Cheeky Monkey) is very good, as is the very reasonably priced wine (hence the Sunday morning malaise). The most complicated and contentious issue of the weekend was who should sleep where. Elaine nobly took on Richard, given Russell was very sure that Richard's snoring would keep him awake. I took the saloon with Russ, and I'm very pleased to announce that I snored during the night and am apparently very lucky to be alive...

I will gloss over the gory details of early Sunday morning (gin, snoring, thunderstorms and torrential rain having taken their toll), but suffice to say it wasn't pretty. Then to the racing. The wind was a tad fickle around the start. Okay it was downright outrageous, after the IRM start the wind vanished (old oak table style) and swang through 180 degees. Smoke from one
Fawley chimney was right to left, from another left to right, lawks a mercy...

But once the wind filled in we started an hour late (thoughts to Duncan who was planning to windsurf, and whose nice breeze didn't materialise) and we set off a boat length off the line and in bad wind, but started. We also started with the #3 in marginal #3/#1 genoa weather going on the basis that in flat water the #3 was the right choice, but the wind didn't stay strong enough, (dear Santa #2 would have been ideal). Actually very little ground was lost once we were away but we just didn't quite have the power over the line to stay in the front row.

There then followed a merry zig-zag back and forth across the Solent. Team crew work was excellent, hoists, gybes, trimming. This has to be one of the closest, most competitve, races of the series with more places traded than I've ever seen. At one mark there were about 10 boats all packed into the two boat lengths circle. All quite emotional, but miraculously no
collisions. Some violent tiller waggling from Russell prevented us from re-modelling the stern of one of our competitors. Quite sobering to think that there was about £1million pounds worth of boats being sailed within mm of each other. Fantastic.

For the final beat with the weather brightening up, the wind going slightly lighter, we swapped headsails for the #1. Much dark muttering from Richard about thundery clouds... He was right of course as on the final beat the wind blew up and rain came down (dear Santa...).

I'm coming to the end of the tale now, there's so much more I could have included. I'll just tease you with the headlines: Snackpot Heaven; Protest Drama in car park, Russell gets accosted by crew (all of them from another boat - we gallantly ran away and hid).


Next Week: Race #7

Russell/Tina are otherwise engaged with a retirement party on Saturday (not Russell's contrary to popular wisdom) and will be down on Sunday for the race. Having checked the crew list on the web site (http://freespace.virgin.net/russell.beale/index.htm) and given that Richard usually hibernates during the day on Saturday, I'll probably be practicing on my own (ooh no matron). Mike will be down Sunday and possibly Saturday. Phil has a ? in next week. There is a rumour that Angus may be with us (anyone able to verify that story?). Could you let us know your plans! Anyone we've not seen much of this season fancy another go, Steph, Stephen?

I'll let people know the plan for Saturday once I've got a slightly less long range forecast, and when I know who's around when.

ttfn,
Dave