IOM scratch racing on Fathers' Day

Today the IOMs came out to strut their stuff.  Conditions were epic with a solid south - south-westerly breeze, reasonable temperatures and no rain.  Sadly we were still missing Mark Easton to illness (get well, friend!), plus we lacked Donks (visiting grandies in Margs), Sherriff, Lex, Sean Wallis, Bill Fenwick and a few others.  We were delighted to welcome back Steve Tippett from Dunsborough. Mark Bullard also came up from Dunsborough to experience scratch racing (the Dunsborough club is all handicap).  Ray Silby advised that his last absence was because he was in Kalgoorlie - noted Ray and the record has been set straight.

 

Lawrie sent out the buoy bots in a long course stretching from near the south-east Swan beach all the way to the IGA shelter on the west bank.  The swirls around the top marks were awful, leading Lawrie to complain that the course was badly set and we need to reconsider who sets the course.  Rosco came down, still nursing his broken ribs, assisting Lawrie to launch the bots and also act as PRO for the first few heats.  Thank you, Rosco!

 

Graeme had prepared a start box which we were all thankful for.  It worked well, but needed to be switched off after counting down or it started again.  It was amusing as we all scampered to the top mark and the count-down continued, booming out over the lake.

 

Graeme Elliott was back with a point to prove after the previous outing.  He won heat 1 thanks to Steve Tippett forgetting which lap we were on and missing the finish line. However, Graeme backed this up with another immediate win.  Mark Bullard got his eye in during the first two heats, then won four heats in a row!  If he could have kept form he would have taken the day, but some others also stepped up.  Steve Tippett made up for his early mistake to take Heat 7, showing he has the moves and the pace when he puts it together.

 

Phil Plowman was out there gaining experience. He was winning in a heat but lost his way on the big course and was overtaken.  Keep at it, Phil!  Ray Silby was back with his beautiful woodie and was often competitive but also had his share of unforced errors.

 

Lawrie was sailing his older Sabre design and had an awful time with it.  He just couldn't get the rig to work, suffering from a snagged jib topping lift on every second tack (despite having a bungee cord attached) which cost him many places. He swapped to his familiar Alioth V4 after Heat 6 and never looked back, having a wonderful duel with Graeme Elliott in the final three heats.  The two boats were often within a boat length all around the course.  It was just too little, too late, relegating Lawrie to third overall, with Mark Bullard getting second on count-back (4 wins in a row deserved the higher placing).  However, the cream rose to the top, with Graeme Elliott getting the heat wins he wanted with his new V12 and taking the overall win.  Congrats, Graeme!