5th Sprint Series at Great Yarmouth & Gorleston Sailing Club

Thankfully there was no repeat of the Bank Holiday weather this week at Gorleston for the fifth instalment of the GYGSC Sprint series. The racing started in bright sunshine and a South Easterly F3-4 which gradually increased throughout the day. The race team set a large windward leeward course much to the delight of the mainly asymmetric fleet.

In race one Dave Abbott and Jamie Freeman in a Hobie Tiger were the quickest off the line and headed offshore. Despite the stronger tide this appeared the faster route as they rounded the windward mark well ahead of the other Hobies. Further back in the fleet Martin Brown and Di Holmes in their RS400 were gradually pulling ahead of the other dinghies making good progress up the beats. At the finish line Abbott and Freeman had lapped all the dinghies and on corrected time finished in third position. Browne and Holmes taking the race honours and Richard Fryer and Carol Smalls in another RS400 finishing in second.

Race two was a closely fought affair and after the first lap the top four dinghies rounded the leeward mark within a few seconds of each other. Browne and Holmes once again worked the beats well to open a small lead finishing just ahead of the RS500 of Phil Highfield and Tamsin Butcher who took the race on corrected time.

The afternoons racing started with more wind and the waves had build up providing quite a swell. Browne and Holmes lead the dinghies once again closely followed by a group of three who after the first lap rounded the leeward mark within three seconds of each. David Houghton and John Symonds in their RS500 managed to break free of the other two up the beat and closed the gap on Browne and Holmes who crossed the line first but Houghton and Symonds were close enough behind to take the win on corrected time.

By the time race four started the wind had increased to a good F4-5 providing some of the best sailing of the year with some great surfing opportunities off wind. At the windward mark the Hobie Tiger of Steve Shaw and Nick Favell lead the fleet but close behind were the RS500’s of Houghton and Symonds and Highfield and Butcher. Browne and Holmes managed to close the gap and at the finishing line it was pretty close with Houghton and Symonds crossing the line first, Browne and Holmes crossing five seconds later and Highfield and Butcher nine seconds later.

With one more event to go in the Sprint series only four points separate the first four boats with Browne and Holmes holding a two point lead, so it’s all to be decided on the last day

Results

Race 1
1 RS400 M. Browne / D. Holmes
2 RS400 R. Fryer/ C. Smalls
3 Hobie Tiger D. Abbott / J. Freeman

Race 2
1 RS500 P. Highfield / T. Butcher
2 RS400 M. Browne / D. Holmes
3 RS500 D. Houghton / J. Symonds

Race 3
1 RS500 D. Houghton /J. Symonds
2 RS400 M. Browne / D. Holmes
3 RS500 P. Highfield / T. Butcher

Race 4
1 RS500 D. Houghton / J. Symonds
2 RS500 P. Highfield / T. Butcher
3 RS400 M. Browne / D. Holmes