Sailing from the heart of Portsmouth

Four boats set sail into a busy easter

Solent with plenty of others making the most of the glorious sunshine. The race started at 1400, 2.5 hours before high water.

The course was, starting at KB – Stokes Bay East (Port), Linington (Port), Royal Albert (Starboard), Suffolk Sails (Port), Portsmouth Sailing Club (Port) and finish at Suffolk Sails. Z68 kindly volunteered to be gate boat.

The race started in a soft south westerly breeze of 10 -12 knots. The 4 boats split as the went up the first beat to, Z48 and Z68 went into the wall; with Z70 and Z53 heading out, away from the wall on starboard tack. As the fleet converged at Gillkicker corner, Z48 was ahead with the others chasing behind. As we rounded the corner we stayed close to the beach before tacking out to the mark, Z48 and Z70 rounded in one with Z68 taking an extra tack to make the mark. Z53 rounded shortly afterwards.

With kites up with starboard poles the fleet headed to Linington, successfully navigating some Solent chop from ferries and ribs; all of which were very keen to get a close look at the action!

Linington was reach with Z48 still ahead, Z68 had caught up with Z70, who had made a couple of jibs as they approached the mark. The beat to Royal Albert was next and the tide was still going into harbour do boats tacked off to avoid being sucked down the channel. Z48 extended their lead, with Z68 making good gains on Z70 so that on the final approach to the mark managed an overtake and move up into second place.

The downwind leg to Suffolk Sails was easily navigated by all and finally a short sausage to PSC and back for the finish. All positions remaining unchanged.

Z48’s win meant they have now 2 guns from 2 races sailed this season, a 100% record! Z68 came home in 2^nd with Z70, 3^rd and Z53 in 4^th.

And that concluded the 3^rd Saturday Trophy which saw 8 boats compete in over the whole series and the overall series winners were Z70.

Next up on Saturday is the Underwood Trophy which runs from 21 August to 16 October 2021.

The concept of a Pursuit race is quite simple. Set the tortoises off first, then release the hares, and in a perfect race all the competitors would finish across the line at the same time. Reality of course is very different, and anyway in sailing you don’t have tortoises and hares, as everyone knows you only have Ferrets…….

And so on Thursday night we reached the point in the season where the Victory Class hold their annual Pursuit Race. With Ferret-Master in Chief Sid Dollery in charge, assisted by Mike Scott (thank you once again guys), a slightly depleted fleet of 5 Ferrets (following the rigours of Cowes Week) came to a start line at PSC racing mark. The Ferret-Master set course 2 (twice RA to Suffolk Sails, then twice PSC to Suffolk Sails)

The start time for each Ferret had previously been calculated by the Ferret-Master based on performance to date in Class races this year and the target race duration of 60 minutes. Those Ferrets feeling smug at earlier great performance looked a little crestfallen as they realised how many minutes of a lead they were having to give those with a less illustrious early season. The start process commenced with no concession to those who were not actually present, and so a number of ghost starts occurred, with the names of missing Ferrets vainly called over the VHF.

After 2 minutes Z70 charged enthusiastically off the line under the control of MC and headed up the first beat into an inviting SW 12-18 knots. Two minutes later Z54 wandered over the line a few seconds late, contemplating the huge gap ahead, followed one minute later by John and Bill in Z68. Finally, after a further 2 minutes had passed Z75 set off, followed 30 seconds later by Z57. A total of 5 minutes and 30 seconds separating the first and last racing Ferrets. There was however plenty of space on the start line when it was your turn.

The balance up the first beat was between the fresher breeze offshore and less tide under the wall. A careful balancing act. It’s always lonely as the up front Ferret, but Z70 pressed on, while 54 worked hard to close the gap. Optimism proved misplaced, while 54 closed the gap, it was Z70 hanging on to be the first around the windward mark. Behind the two leaders Z68 held her position, while at the back Z75 and Z57 were nip and tuck, playing with the 30 seconds that separated them.

Downwind to SS Z54 went low, through Z70s lee and away…? ‘Not So’ said MC, and 70 hung in there, all the way to holding the inside berth at SS. Only after rounding did 54 manage to break away on the next couple of shifts to take the lead on the beat back to RA. Behind us Z68 held her place, and 57 and 75 fought on within a few boat lengths of each other. The breeze softened on this second beat, causing a little angst… nothing like having boats astern with a history of beating you to make you concentrate on every little aspect of your sailing!

Z54 followed by Z70 around the windward mark and off down the run. Somewhere along the way 75 and 57 got past 68, all the action left was with 75 and 57. The Ferret-Masters voice on the VHF announced that ‘Glady’ was at SS with an ‘S’ flying, and that all Ferrets should stop there and go home. 54, followed by 70 in second place crossed the line, and we watched the last of the battle as Z57 beat 75 by seconds followed by 68. The stopwatch said that Z57 had clawed back just over 30 seconds on 54 during the race.

Ferrets of course drink beer… you know what happened next….

Third time lucky for the Solstice Regatta racing this year after the first two days were rained off. Our Saturday race saw 6 Victories venture out into the Eastern Solent to partake in a course, which once finished would earn them Cornish Pasties and Lemon Drizzle Cake. All washed down with lashings of (not ginger) beer. The course was a Committee Boat start at Royal Albert heading via:

Linnington - starboard, Browndown – port, Gleeds – port, Royal Albert – starboard, Linnington – port, Suffolk Sails – finish

With the race stating at 1300, just after low water the tide was running to the east. After crossing the start line all the boats headed out into the main Solent Channel to seek the tidal advantage. Gleeds was reached within 25 minutes with Z69 round first, followed by Z67, Z70, Z54, Z53 and Z73. Then the calls came, ‘what Browndown, that’s Cowes’; one unnamed boat even brought binoculars! Decisions, decisions as the fleet split, some towards the Haslar Wall and others back out into the main channel going the shorter route via the central Solent. At the Green Post, the fleet was close together running down the shoreline. No fishing lines were caught but we did interrupt a photoshoot, to the displeasure of the model, who’s outfit clashed with our bright spinnakers. And yet Z69 lead ahead of Z54, Z70, Z67, Z53 and Z73. As we carried on further east, more challenges awaited; a large fleet of Lasers needed to be navigated, most went round but two went through adding new obstaclesto the Laser course. Once navigated, the challenge was getting round Browndown against the tide. Z69 rounded first and whizzed off east with the help of the tidal gate. Z54 and Z70 had a tussle, a couple of jibes later Z54 rounded next with Z70 close behind. Z67, who decided to stay close in and have a nosy into the houses in Lee on Solent rounded 3^rd. Z53 decided to try fishing as they went round by trawling their spinnaker whilst Z73 closed the gap.

The beat upto Gleeds beckoned, with the tide still going east the key was the balance of boat speed and height. Z54 went for height and Z70 went for speed; at the windward mark of Gleeds Z54 was ahead and even despite the earlier house viewings Z67 had crept up. With time ticking; the course was shortened at Royal Albert; this lead to close racing between Z53 and Z73, who had the dryer spinnaker? Z73 did; they pipped Z53 to the finish by just a couple of boat lengths. Ahead of them was Z67 in forth, Z70 in third and Z54 second, just. Z69 was first with room to spare.

Racing complete, but; most importantly the Cornish Pasties and the cake waiting back in Portsmouth, noses and bows pointed to the shore and headed home. Once ashore, a 2-course meal was enjoyed by all. We were all grateful to Liz, Angie and Zoe for the food and luckily we beat the rain which fell shortly afterwards.

Finally, before we finish do spare a thought for our Committee boat, (Sid, Annie and Mike S) their intention was for a fish supper but all they caught was the invisible fish. So, if it wasn’t for those pasties they would have been rather hungry this evening.

The Solstice Regatta is not over yet, we get to do it all again on Tuesday; up the harbour.