Mersea Spring Points

Scallywag and Monkey Business will be competing in the Mersea Spring Points.

Check back for results here!  http://www.wmyc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&id=47&Itemid=195

Race 1 – Sunday 10th April – Perfect sailing breeze, glorious sunshine.  What a way to start the spring, with a great course.  On the water, Monkey Business beat Scallywag by 56 seconds as the two Impalas placed 1st and 2nd overall on IRC and local handicap.

Race 2 – Sunday 17th April – A light day, with an initial postponement followed by a foul tide upwind start in very little breeze.  However, a great call by the race committee to initially postpone then get a good race in.  Monkey Business was over the line at the start, but returned quickly, and took advantage of being behind to take the offshore route in more tide but better breeze to be ahead of Scallywag at the first mark.  Monkey went on to have a good race on the water with Billy Whizz (Formula 28).  MB eventually beat Scallywag by 3min 48sec, with MB placing 1st overall and Scallywag 5th.  Thanks to the combined Mersea clubs for their continuing hospitality and putting up with us!  I am sure the sports boats will get their revenge when it breezes up.

Race 3 – Sunday 24th April – Racing abandoned today; the sunshine is nice but with it today came a distinct lack of wind!

Race 4 – Sunday 1st May – A very tight race on the water between Monkey Business and Scallywag in bags of breeze. The windward start was very even between the two boats, with Monkey opting for full main and no. 3, Scallywag with one reef. By three quarters of the way up the beat, Monkey had eecked out a lead of a few boat lengths, but misjudged the mark, over standing quite badly and letting Scallywag round the mark in the lead (I still don’t quite understand it; its almost like there is a tidal back eddy there, but still, we’re not the locals!). There followed a 1.8 mile spinnaker leg. Monkey set off on port gybe, gybing half way along the leg and approaching the leeward mark on starboard. Scallywag went square down the lay line on starboard, gybing in without the spinnaker, allowing Monkey around the leeward mark a few boat lengths ahead. Throughout the remaining beat, tight genoa reach and final short beat to the line, the two Impalas were never separated by more than a few boat lengths, with Monkey keeping Scallywag in cover to maintain her advantage (this was vital as I think Scally had a few clicks on us). Monkey eventually took the gun only a about a boat length (9 seconds) ahead of Scallywag in very tense finish. Meanwhile, the East Anglian offshore races going on over the same weekend had depleted the fleet, as I think had the weather with a few boats presumably thinking better of it. That meant that only four IRC boats had made it to the line, the other two being a Melges and a J-80. The Melges had retired on the penultimate beat, deciding it was too windy, whilst the J-80 never really pulled clear of the Impalas, having been over the line at the start, and blew her genoa out on the final beat to finish under main alone. Final result on IRC, Monkey Business 1st, Scallywag 2nd! The sports boats are going to have to work harder if they can’t take the heat on the windy days when they should be beating us! Their time will come…

Race 5 & 6 – Sunday 8th May – Two great fun races today. The first started in an ideal breeze, and saw quite a tight race between the two Impalas. It breezed up a lot towards the end of the race, and up the final beat it had really gone off the top of the no 1, but being so near to the end of the race, both boats managed to hang on for another 1-2 overall on IRC, with Monkey Business crossing the line 34 seconds ahead of Scallywag.

For the afternoon, both boats changed down to the no 2, which was the right decision. In this combination, Monkey Business appeared to have a boat speed advantage, out pointing the J-80 out of the start, and fighting with the sports boats up the first beat and run. However, as soon as the reaches came along, the sports boats had enough wind to do their stuff, and Geoff Payne’s J-80 Surf and Turf looked particularly handy. She woudl probably have taken the win, but for an overstand on one of the beats, and also a slight course confusion which meant they didn’t fly the kite on a short tight reach. That reach was interesting for the Impalas, with Monkey Business holding on to her baby kite, but Scallywag struggling to stay upright with her full size one. Monkey eventually finished 4m 37s ahead of Scallywag, and took a fifth win in succession, with Scally 5th. That seems to sew the series up for Monkey B, with Scallywag still in a sound 2nd place.

Race 7 – Sunday 15th May

Race 8 – Sunday 22nd May