Race 4 Hextall Trophy Race Report

Many Congratulations to Cleo for winning Race 4 so brilliantly and by a long way in tricky conditions – light airs, an incomplete course – drifting buoy again- and a strong spring tide to throw into the mix. Also, a lyrical report with another view point from Nick Burge.

June 21st, 2024

Race Report 1 by Cleo Johnson

I had not helmed a scow in a race before and me and Ned Nicholson only decided to do it 5 minutes before the start. It was really fun!

I usually do the navigation so when Daddy told me to go round North Bank instead of Exbury with everyone else I was a bit worried! Luckily he was right.

It was amazing being in the lead but quite frightening when we heard the sound of the rest of the scows creeping up behind us!

I was really pleased to win and everyone was so nice afterwards but I think next time I’ll do the jib and let Daddy helm again. It is a little bit stressful!

Now I am looking forward to junior sailing week this week as I’m in the scow group for the first time.

Race Report 2 by Nick Burge

“I am but mad north-north-west: when the wind is southerly I know a hawk from a handsaw” (Hamlet by William Shakespeare).

Gs Ip Np Ps Twice round. (race shortened due to lack of wind). Platform: Oli Stanley, Race Officer: Jay Devonshire, Safety Team: Peter Betteridge and Keith Hutton

The weather was heavily overcast with variable light winds from North by NorthWest. As in Hitchcock’s famous movie of that title, our race had it’s fair share of surprises in store.As people launched their Scows, Jay was obliged to remind us over the tannoy that it’s as well to attend the briefing before heading off onto the river. Scows started upstream 5 minutes after the Lasers, all following the same course. The incoming tide was still running fast upstream and with a lack of wind it was going to be tricky to avoid being pulled inadvertently over the line before the start, which is what occurred in at least one instance, Rupert Scott, incurring a penalty turn.

At the start of the race the writer of this report thought it might be clever to stick to the middle of the river where the incoming tide flowed fastest upstream, but the wind was very literally blown out of his sail. It being a Sunday morning the river was busy with yachts and powerboats heading downstream for a day out in the Solent producing a great deal of wash which left him floundering well behind the majority of the fleet. The more conventional wisdom of keeping well to windward on a tack proved to be very much the smarter choice, as well as avoiding the worst of the powerboat washes by keeping out of the main channel.

As we rounded the first mark to run before the wind a soft light drizzle of rain began to fall from a dark grey sky, the rain continuing for some time but the temperature being warm enough for the rain to evaporate almost as fast as it fell. The rain brought with it an atmosphere of calm and it was a great pleasure to observe avocets and gulls feeding on the banks as we drifted along. The tide being very high it was impossible to tell where the deep water ended and the mud flats began, but with the centreboard up and the breeze blowing off the bank it was easy enough to skate along the river’s edge without fear of sticking aground. As we coasted downstream the tide began to slack, so sticking to the bank became less of an issue. I was at such a distance behind the leaders that I was not able to see the Island mark, but later learned that the mark had in fact disappeared and so people were rounding the Red channel marker instead. At this point in the race with the tide beginning to run downstream the wind died almost completely leaving those in the main channel at a virtual standstill. Here again I gather there was some confusion concerning the position of the North bank mark. Jay’s words from before the start echo in my ears.

So to Pigs and a final race to the finish, the wind having recovered somewhat, and I was delighted to see a Seal had again taken up residence in the bay, poking it’s head above water to observe the fleet of Scows sailing gently by.

The race finished with a delightful tea party and just to show how fickle the Wind Gods can be, as we packed up our boats, the breeze picked up merrily.