The long hot summer continues..

If you sail on a lake you might be having a wee moan about lack of wind, if you live by the sea whoever you will be enjoying beautiful sailing conditions, cloudless skies, sea breezes, flat (ish) seas and so it was last night at Felixstowe Ferry.

The dying sea breeze left a gradient breeze of 8 – 10 knots, but with a strong ebb spring tide at full tilt it was going to be a tough one (Ed’s note: the tide at FFSC peaks at around 6knots where the channel narrows).
The course set: Club line (ooof all that tide!) then downwind all the way upriver to Tug and then a couple of hitches, back to Tug then Club line finish.
After the successful weekend at #RHYC Simon and Matt teamed up again to sail in Deception, Simon loaning Storm Cloud to local Leg End Simon Cox (#synergy marine) crewed by Matt Barker. Making a special guest appearance tonight another local LegEnd Andrew ‘the wink’ Moore taking the opportunity to tune up his skills for Cowes week.

Having an early launch to do the crikey there’s a lot of string in these boats the two merlins found that the tide was indeed running at an impressive speed. As the fleet mustered for the start the old hands stayed along way from the line, Cox / Barker making the mistake of running a little to deep in and getting squeezed out into the tide, Guy Pearce gets a special mention for staring on his own on club line 2 (Ed’s note: that is the wrong line) Scammell / Read gybed and hoisted  and hit the line a little shy but still led Daniels, Evans, O’leary who all timed the line pretty well, with Scammell / Read (yes us again) getting the breeze first and clearing out round the groyne and heading over the horizon. Bringing up the rear at the gun, Moore, Last / Fisk and Smith / Barkes (all that horsepower…)
Making for the Felixstowe shore Scammell / Read led the singlehanded Merlins (Ed note: he still won’t say Laser) up the shore, Cox / Barker got the breeze and began to fight their way through the gaggle of singlehanders. After a very slow start (we saw you going backwards!) Moore soon showed that having spent nearly his whole life on the river where to beat the tide catching up the front runner Daniels and staying with Cox / Barker all the way down the shore.  Rog ‘the splodge’ Lewis and Debbie Hawkins had a good start in the RS ‘I so want to be a merlin’ 400 but decided that taking the horse sands side was going to pay…

…it wasn’t and Lewis / Hawkins even with the pink shocker up couldn’t overhaul Scammell / Read in Deception, who dropped and gybed to turn the Tug mark first, Lewis / Hawkins rounded next followed by Cox / Barker. then came you guessed it Moore, Daniels, O’leary. With 3 knots of tide carrying the boats back to Quay the upwind leg was going to be quick. Scammell / Read tacked to stay in the channel and rounded first (yes that’s about how long it took!) , followed by Lewis / Hawkins, , with Moore, Cox / Barker and Co. hot on their heels.

After the hoist the Scammell / Read headed for the felixstowe shore to punch the tide, followed by Lewis / Hawkins, the chasers took the line closer to horse, Lewis / Hawkins just edging out Scammell / Read at Tug for the last time they turned the mark nearly side by side, The extra grunt in the RS saw Lewis / Hawkins lead Scammell / Read back to the line. Next to round tug for the last time Moore (? guessing wildly now as  we really couldn’t see that far back), Daniels, O’leary and Cox / Barker, the local knowledge in the singlehanders keeping them in front of Storm Cloud.
Taking line honours (again) Lewis / Hawkins, closely followed by Scammell / Read, a short break then came Moore, Daniels, O’Leary and Pearce.

Who would take the handicap win? can anyone beat a laser at FFSC?

Well done to the legend that is Felixstowe Ferry … Andrew Moore handicap winner, not bad considering he was nearly the last boat over the line if you check the video in th elink you will catch a glimpse of Laser 456 (Ed’s note: wow he said laser!) going backwards just after the gun…the 1st rule of sail racing? it’s not trim, it’s not any of the 5 essentials. It’s never quit, never retire, if you don’y finish how can you win?
full results here (sorry no multi results): http://www.suffolksails.net/summer-2/

short start video is here : https://www.facebook.com/RDOeast/videos/1742453319156699/?hc_ref=ARRDjiIIm8WmZHIr-c-7240eY__SK78KtJcoUnb6KaG4FdvsHikR8c7T6UjIY6_M2xo