News

Update on PCSC Racing and our Club Etchells Championships

Published Thu 14 Nov 2024

This report couttesy of Glenn Sanders

Usually Cygnet Sailing has a mixed fleet of yachts of varying speeds, but a handicap system means that the slowest boats, well sailed, can still triumph even if finishing far behind their faster brethren.

One class races are different – identical boats render handicaps unnecessary, and result in much closer racing, with winners decided only by tactical and technical skills.

So it was on Sunday 10 November when the club staged its Etchells Championship, the best three of four short races on a windward-leeward course, upwind from the start to a turning mark, and back to the finish. While these courses are simple, it can be tricky setting them in Cygnet where winds are markedly affected by surrounding hills and valleys.

The day was ideal, fine but cloudy, with a five to ten knot south westerly breeze. The start line was set just south of Deep Bay, with the windward mark near Beaupré point. Five Etchells competed: Tarka, Disgratziato, Con Job, Bushido and Battmobile.

Starting tactics varied. Some stayed close to the line, others came at speed from further out. In the first race Con Job ducked quickly around the stern of the start boat, headed off upwind of the fleet, and then took a more direct line to the mark to score the first win of the day.

By the second race the wind started to vary in strength and direction, swinging frequently from north west to south. Tactics were important. The fleet favoured the left of the course for the first race, but went right in the second, while the final two races saw the fleet equally divided. Results for race two were the reverse of the first, with Bushido swapping from last to first, while Con Job did the opposite.

No quarter was given before the start of race three as all five boats jostled closely. Four boats turned in line abreast towards the line and veered south to avoid a premature start. Three found room to do so, but Battmobile had nowhere to go, and as the upwind boat, had to give way to Disgratziato, crossed the line early, and had to turn and re-start. Tarka emerged as winner after a close race.

Several minutes before the final start the wind swung strongly north, and Race Control nearly decided to move the course, but cancelled a minute later as the wind swung back. This pattern recurred during the start sequence, and by the finish the wind was right around from the south east. All boats again finished in quick succession, except Bushido which unfortunately suffered a spinnaker malfunction. Tarka again triumphed.

The final results on a great day saw consistency reward Tarka (Bob Howison) for a second and two firsts, from Con Job (1, 3, 2), Bushido (5, 1, 2), Disgratziato (2, 4, 3) and Battmobile (4, 3, 4).

The first race in the club’s Summer series is on Sunday 17 November, starting at 1pm.

See a gallery of photos of this event HERE