PHHS Poole to Poole Series
IRC and MOCRA Poole to Poole Series
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The View from Escapade (many thanks to Peter Biggs for this account)
With a F6 already set and more to come the smaller
boats made the wise decision not to venture out.
Ian Hayes, race officer for the day, made a good
call and arranged the start at Sw2.
At the appointed time 5 boats were on the start
line with Athene and Escapade reaching up the Swash Channel to make late
starts.
Windward- leeward legs under the protection of the
Purbecks was followed by a bumpy beat around Old Harry to a committee boat
finish in Swanage Bay. All over by 1110 but
nobody was complaining.
The fleet picked its way through the capsized
Lasers and after futile attempts at getting anchors to hold most boats resorted
to the vacant moorings.
Ian, supported by John Harding, was on hand in
Bloodshot to ferry the crews to the Pier.
During the long lunch break Athene was spotted
adrift. She floated gracefully, as if guided by Zeus, avoided the numerous
moored vessels and glided passed the pierhead.
Bloodshot was quickly on the spot and returned her
human crew to the tiller.
A short course was set for the return race. Run to
BP, MDL to port, beat to BB then finish.
When the boats got out into the F7gusting
? most decided that a reach down the Swash and home was a better
decision.
Escapade, with 2 reefs and a No 4, were still
achieving 12.6 kn down the waves.
Seemed like a slog but the course was completed in
just over an hour with no damage to report.
Many thanks to Ian Hayes for providing Bloodshot
and thanks to Ian and John for their great organisation and
support.
Roll on the summer.
