The cry of the lesser spotted Victory sailor as they leave their winter habitat and head to their summer drinking grounds…..
It must have been a long winter, as by the end of the Easter weekend the whole Portsmouth Victory Fleet was afloat and ready for the first race of the 2025 (and 91st) season for the class on Tuesday 22nd April. By 17:45 there was rush of dinghies and boats on the slipway, with Sid and Liz ready on the committee boat.
It would be a short first race, with a start at 7 and sunset before 8, there was no time to waste. So with a course set to BT - Yola - PSC - Yola, and a 5 minute countdown, the fleet were away at 7 with no delay.
There was a familiar feel to this one. Z74 with Tom Hartridge at the helm carried on where he left off last year, with a spot on start at the committee boat end, with Z75 and Z54 on his heels. A difference of opinion up the first beat saw some boats early into the Haslar Wall, with some holding out for the west going tide. At BT 74 held the lead, and a tight group including 75, 79 and 78 held the starboard gybe down the run, while 54 gybed to port and ran down closer to the wall.
The inshore track paid, by the bottom mark ( ‘Yola’) Tom and 74 still held the lead, but 54 was into second place, and 78 had stormed through to be close behind in third. With the light fading we all knew there would only be a short beat and run left. 74 and 54 up the middle, some boats hard left, and 78 hard right to the wall. The wall was not the place this time however, and by PSC 74 and 54 held on, but 78 was back in a pack of boats with 75, 79 and 80 fighting for 3rd place. It was only a short run…. but 79 managed to pull out of the pack. At the line, 74, 54, 79.. The Taylor Trophy for Z74 and Tom and Duncan. The sun slipped below the horizon…..
Many thanks to Sid and Liz for seeng us thought the first race… well done Peregrine for the first trophy!