Royal Air Force Yacht Club

Article from Kirsty Apthorp and J/109 Association

The second race in the Warsash Spring Series was a closely fought event with a number of different leaders and only five minutes separating the first eleven boats, after two hours of racing.  Facing light 6-9knot westerly winds and strong west-going Spring tide, the Race Committee chose to set a predominantly windward-leeward course over Thorn Bank to Bramble.

The start off Lee-on-Solent shore saw Velvet Elvis (Velvet Elvis Racing) take the lead from Shiva (Matt Boyle), Jahmali (Mike & Sarah Wallis) and Me Julie (Dom Monkhouse).  The pack split with Velvet Elvis, Offbeat (David McLeman) and J-Dream (David & Kirsty Apthorp) take a hitch right to stay in the stronger tide in the North Channel.  Those who headed out for the main channel including Shiva (Matt Boyle), Jumping Jellyfish (David Richards), Designstar (Roger Phillips) and newcomers to the fleet Jet (Alan Neilson) were led to the windward mark by Just So (David & Mary McGough).  The entire J/109 fleet  rounded the mark and hoisted their spinnakers, bow to stern and this was to set the tone for the rest of the race.

Just So lost the lead on the first run to Me Julie who on the second beat was holding off the challenges of Shiva and Velvet Elvis.  The second beat saw Shiva and Me Julie extend their lead whilst J-Dream had closed the gap on Offbeat and rounded infront of Jahmali and Velvet Elvis.  Shiva and Offbeat were the inside boats at the gybe mark and rounded 1^st and 2^nd, closely followed by Me Julie, J-Dream and Jahmali.  A beat to the finish saw Shiva win the race comfortably, whilst the rest of the fleet continued the battle.  The J/109 fleet thought last weeks victory from Jagerbomb was a close fought affair until J-Dream leebowed Offbeat five boat lengths from the line to take 2^nd place by 2 seconds. Although this was the closest finish this week, there were plenty of others as  Jahmali took 4^th place from Me Julie by 12 seconds, Jumping Jellyfish got the better of Designstar for 7^th place by 8 seconds, Jynnan Tonnyx (Owain Franks) pipped Jeez Louise (Jamie Arnell) across the line by 6 seconds and Jet and Audajious, who were both grateful that the PRO had set a course which included inflatable buoys, finished only 7 seconds apart.

Results:

1^st Shiva – Matt Boyle

2^nd J-Dream – David & Kirsty Apthorp

3^rd Offbeat – David McLeman