With light airs forecast on day five, Royal Yacht Squadron Race Officer Peter Saxton changed the scheduled Pursuit Race to round the cans racing from a committee boat start to maximise the breeze in the eastern Solent.
In Peter Saxton’s words at the morning briefing, he would aim to deliver “good racing or no racing”. Fortunately for the yachts, it ended up being good racing to complete the five-race series.
Sponsored by Marineware and Awlgrip, Race 5 saw class starts for Classes 1 and 2 (combined), Class 3, and Class 4 in 8knots of wind from the east with tide running to the west.
Classes 1 and 2 set off from the committee boat line to the east, passing East Bramble to starboard and sailing inshore to get out of the tide (whilst keeping an eye on the depth). Tacking upwind to NE Ryde Middle, the yachts bore away around the mark, hoisting spinnakers and dropping jibs for the downwind leg with the tide to pass Little Ship Club to starboard and on to Goodall Roofing.
Gybing round Goodall Roofing to starboard, spinnakers were dropped on the approach to Royal Thames. Taking into account the strong westerly running tide, it was a reach south to Prince Consort and a short final downwind leg into the RYS line to finish the 7.5nm course.
Classes 3 and 4 sailed a similar but slightly shorter course (6.4nm and 5nm respectively). Class 3 sailed upwind following Classes 1 and 2, passing East Bramble to starboard. At Little Ship Club, Class 3 hoisted spinnakers for the start of their downwind leg with the tide, passing Goodall Roofing to starboard and on to Royal Thames. Rounding Royal Thames to port, Class 3 reached across to Prince Consort to starboard and on to the RYS line.
In a similar theme to the preceding classes, Class 4 set off from the committee boat line to pass East Bramble to starboard and bearing away round N Ryde Middle to hoist spinnakers for the downwind leg. Passing Goodall Roofing to starboard, Class 4 headed up towards Royal Thames before a reach back across to Prince Consort and on to the RYS line.
With several classes closely contested throughout the week Friday’s racing delivered some fantastic sailing.
In Class 1, Happy Forever took their third win of the week, Class 2 was won by the beautifully sailed 8mR Anne Sophie from Germany. Some tight racing in Class 3 saw Bermudan sloop Illiria take her first win of the week, and Class 4 was won by the 6mR Simoa.
