Birkenhead Radio Sailing & Power Club
The IOM World Championships 2024 started in Gladstone Australia yesterday (22/10/24) and continues until next Monday. For the Results and a Free Live Stream (via Youtube) please head to the event page
After each day of racing streamed live, a video of the racing with commentary is posted that can be reviewed at your leisure.
Do enjoy when you have some time.
There was only the merest hint of a breeze arriving at 10am, but by 10:30 it was shaping up to be a decent breeze down the length of the lake from the clubhouse end. Peter donned the waders and shifted a few marks to provide a decent windward leg for the first couple of races.
The fleet of 12 boats started in a light A+ rig breeze with the usual Gautby Rd holes and shifts to catch people out and pose the usual “shall I tack or not” question. Andrew Potter started well and led for most of the first race, until Peter covered him on the run and overtook at the gate to take the win. Race 2 and Peter made some new friends at the back of the fleet with a jib sheeting problem, leaving Paul Plested and Mike De St Paer to battle out for line honours, which went to Paul in this instance.
Race 3 was won by Peter after a battle with Clive and Richard Robinson who made a welcome return to Wednesday mornings. Clive made a great start in Race 4 and led for a good part of the race and through the final gate. However, Gautby Road decided not to favour him with the win and allowed both Peter and Paul to creep up the bank leaving him stranded in the middle of the lake with or no wind and a resultant third.
By now the wind was definitely across the lake, with starts being sometimes a beat and at other times a broad reach. The main requirement was to keep your boat moving both off the line and continue to the windward mark. Peter, Andrew and Clive were all vying for top spot all the way to the finish of Race 5, with a nail biting win for Peter as the other pair got a gust from behind. In the final race Clive finally managed the win that he had been so close to achieving all morning.
A slightly early finish was called with tidying work to do in readiness for the RG65 TT weekend, although nobody complained with the wind being less than perfect. Thanks must go to Liz Potter and Sharon Plested for acting as our Race Committee this morning and Paul Plested for the quick photo whilst we were temporarily parked up.
If you are looking to buy a secondhand DF95, John Brierley is selling his spare DF95 complete with all four rigs – just requires a radio to be added to get going.
With heavy rain falling at the lake and no prospect of it easing up for some hours, the 8 sailors present decided that they preferred to return home rather than sail.
9 skippers entered for the clubs final IOM Summer Series race, a decent entry considering there was quite a few regulars away at Fleetwood.
The wind was light and patchy for the first 3 races but we all knew there was a storm brewing that could mean a change in wind direction and strength at any time, the wind did straighten a little for races 4 to 6 and finally by race 7 it arrived and we all changed down to B rig.
Up another notch and all change again for race 8, down to C rig but the time we came out we found ourselves in the eye of the storm and bobbed around for 5 minutes in hardly anything, then finally it happened, claps of thunder, lightening and biblical hail, run for the clubhouse.
The racing was closely fought in all quarters with George deserving special mention, sailing his Father’s old BritPOP! to a commendable 6th position overall.Thanks to Dave Williams for these photos of the lst race and the ground conditions after the hail storm.
