The first race started started on time which caught a lot of competitors out, but they had been warned at the briefing that racing would start on time. The majority of boats sailed a triangle sausage course, except for the Asymmetric's who sailed a windward leeward course. This year following some discussions after last years event, a completely separate finish line was in use and there was no difference in the number of laps to be sailed in each race. However some competitors still have problems counting how many laps they have completed.

The two types of course meant that crews had to keep their eyes open, what with boats beating to windward on the Olympic course and the Asymmetrics just going for it, downwind with their spinnakers up.

The conditions kept the safety boat crews on their toes checking crews OK after capsizes.  The only gear damage noted was a Laser 2 with a 90 degree bend in its boom after crew contact and a hole in a Laser 4000 mainsail again after crew contact.

The most notable moments for the finish boat team were

The series continues next Sunday, February 9th, there’s still time to join the fun.

Laser 2 view

The first start with a port bias on the line did not see anyone dare a port end flier, but Terry Palmer and Caroline Cooper got away to a good port end start with Simon and Sarah Lomas-Clarke. Terry and Caroline edged ahead, making the most of the gusts and showing their skill in windy weather. Terry and Caroline rounded some 20 yards in the lead followed by Simon and Sarah who hit the windward mark and took their penalty just in time to set off on the tight first reach in-front of Andy Williams and George Hoskins. Simon and Sarah stretched their lead and gybed round the wing mark in front of the swimming Terry and Caroline. This was a lead that they would hold until the finish, followed by Andy and George in second and Terry and Caroline in third.

The clouds came over and the wind stepped into 5th gear for the second race and continued to rise, leading to something close to survival conditions. Alex Taylor and Sam Lones joined the fray along with John Goldsborough.

  Close racing in such testing conditions, looks like this is going to be an excellent series.

View from front end of Hurricane 5.9 - 365

Oh No – it's windy – I don't do windy sailing, still it is the winter warm up and the first chance to try out the new bits on the boat. So we rig and launch only to have the jib sheets untie themselves as we try to sail away from the beach. Trouble with new rope it's super slippery, we find some space, hove to and retie sheets and for extra security tape up the knots!! Oh look our start has gone! Why are most of the fleet just waiting around? Perhaps they want to give us a head start? Jolly decent of you chaps.

We cross the line and start sailing up the beat, it's a bit gusty oh and look we forgot to put any diamond tension on. I've never seen sloppy diamonds before ! The races went by in a bit of a cold wet blur; we saw several cats on their sides. I'm told rescue thought some of them were rather spectacular and were surprised that there were no serious injuries. I think we were the only Hurricane to stay right side up for both races. Our caution probably cost us race 1 on handicap, as at point we were hurtling towards the wall desperately looking to gybe and rather scared of attempting to do so. Solution we "weathered" it round, slow but we stayed the right way up.

In between races we managed to put some tension on the diamonds, not enough but better than nothing. We also managed to get the thermos out !! Jolly tasty, hot onion soup with some extra pepper in it.