Dell Quay Sailing Club

(Published in the Chichester Observer on Thursday 4th June 2015)

The final two races of the DQSC Early Trophy race series encouraged a good turnout from the Solo and Handicap fleets.

The handicap fleet saw entrants at both extremes of speed - an RS 800, with its twin trapezes and huge gennaker, and a Lymington River Scow, a small, tubby dinghy built for happy practical sailing rather than speed. But in the day's first race it was the tortoise which trounced the hare, with John and Liz Sagues harrying the faster boats ahead by picking good shifts on both beats and flying their spinnaker effectively to save their handicap advantage.

The Scow won on corrected time from Andrew Buchanan (Finn), while the RS 800 languished in last place in the fleet of seven.

Two more long laps in race two proved a distance too far for the Scow, which retired, while Sue Manning (Laser 4.7) and Phoebe Noble (Laser Radial) continued to prove the point that slow boats can triumph, tying for first place on corrected time. And that position gave Noble the Early Trophy handicap trophy, nudging out Buchanan by half a point. Rob Corfield, with various crews through the series, took third place overall.

With first and second places in the in the Solo Trophy series already won and the leaders staying at home the battle was on for the series third place with Mike Dicker, Nikky Buchanan, and David Swift in equal third. Light airs and frequent lulls made the first race one of luck and chance, with 1^st place being taken by Ken Baker and 2^nd place by Fred Hilgers who managed to get clear of the fleet and benefit from clear air.

A welcome increase in wind brought a very competitive start to the 2^nd race with much congestion and hailing at the first mark. In the melee, Swift broke away to clear air and led for most of the course, being pipped by Baker close to the last mark who once again took first place.

The overall Solo Trophy series results are: Series winner Bill Dawber, 2^nd Malcolm Buchanan, 3^rd David Swift.

Report compiled by Andrew Horne

Contributors Liz Sagues and David Swift