Sunshine and gentle southerly winds set the stage for very close racing for the day boats.
The southerly wind direction gave the Race Officer a bit of a headache in setting the course for the three classes of cruisers, with a triangle shaped course being picked, around Ron Pipe, Clarks and the Crouch cardinal mark.
Class 1 and 2 race was won by Phil Collard’s Cobra, their 4th win of the week, followed by Digger Harden’s Sorcerer.
The class 5, local handicap with spinnakers, saw Richard Taylor’s Rondo take the win, with a group of Corinthian Otters sailing on a Royal Corinthian Yacht Club 707, Angus Beale on helming duty and Amelia Hague, Nathan Flynn, Amy Sheppard, Callum Clarke and Arthur Sturmer crewing, taking the second.
Matters were a bit lively in the class 6 after some of the Bank Holiday faster classes competitors decided to ditch the spinnakers and join the more leisurely racing, with no less than 8 boats entered for the Mid Week.
The race was eventually won by Richard Moore’s Ophelia, followed by Philip Harbott’s Mantra and John Saunders’ Jeannie.
The day boats had an easier time with the course, the lower draft allowing them to go up the Roach even at low tide, yet one of the squibs, of yellow hull, managed to dig a considerable trench in the Branklet spit.
