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18-19-20 July - Solent Seafarer - Solent Surprise   For results see Passage Series A and Regatta Series
The
‘Solent Seafare’18th-20th
July
Thanks
to those 20 or so boats for entering our PYRA weekend sponsored by
‘Stairway Joinery’ and Normtec – A few ‘no-shows’ some with
broken boats and limbs!! However, we hope all starters had a good
time: Here’s a reminder of the weekend:
Friday:
First
the dash to Yarmouth in the evening was straightforward thanks to a
stiff westerly and those with spinnakers probably made it in record
time to the Hurst finishing line.
The
‘George’
was rather too quiet for our rendezvous and most crews met for a pint
or more in the lively ‘Bugle’.
Unfortunately,
Colin Stewarts’ boat ‘Temptation’ developed some damage on the
way down and could not compete further.
Saturday Ian
Hayes come up from Poole in ‘Bloodshot’ the Parkstone rib, and
joined the briefing aboard ‘Firestarter’ and very kindly acted as
Race Officer for the day. Two
races
in the Solent were planned although a few opted for local ‘social’
trips.
The
beat to Lymington in the F4 favoured the early tack to Black Rock in
race ‘A’ and the run down the Solent was pleasant enough; all
classes converging at Gurnard.
However
the wind continued to build on the reach to NE Gurnard making
handling very lively for Class 3A; Dream On and ‘Fraid S’eau
constantly at 8kn.
The
last leg to ‘Norris’ proved a rather tricky for us both with
spinnakers once hoisted, soon dropped – ours after a particularly
nasty gybe!
A
short second race was quickly organised in the building F6 but some
opted for a flying visit to Cowes.
Our
rendezvous at the Folly
Inn on the Medina proved a good choice as usual with berthing
arranged on the river pontoon opposite and the water-bus available to
get ashore without dinghies.
The terrace was very well attended where it was our pleasure to
calculate provisional positions for the day’s races - with prizes
for all!
Stairway
Joinery
kindly provided a bottle of red on each table for each participating
boat and provided the springboard for a lively evening when the band
struck up with popular covers; crews, now fully fed and watered,
joining in the revelry.
We
noted the tables were more substantial than other venues and allowed
greater occupancy and self expression!
Sunday.
Confusion over the amended start time was quickly resolved by our
Association Capt, Keith Lovett; an executive decision to revert to
the 12:30 start as published in the ‘Red Book’. However, a few
elected not to race back and get going before the westerly built
again. The fetch home completed the weekend’s itinerary.
Many
thanks again to Ian Hayes for making a special trip to the Solent to
officiate – ‘beyond the call of duty’ methinks.
Roger
Bond and Malcolm Stonham, Fraid
S’eau Class
3A
Thanks To Miriam off Shebeen for sending in these photos  
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