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11 April
DSC Members sail in Liverpool YC Easter Bunny Series
Whilst Dee SC members hosted the Dart Open over the Easter weekend, Liverpool YC held their annual Easter Bunny Series on the River Mersey with 4 races spread over Sat/Sun/Mon. Alasdair and Brigid along with co-owners John and Barbera Carrier from Wallasey YC took Sleeper out for her first sail of the season after a couple of weeks delays in launching due to a broken hoist at the Marina. There's nothing quite like a complete lack of practice before an important event. Si, Sue, and Ellie Bates joined the crew on Saturday and a clear blue sky with a F2 NNW greeted the yachts that decided to compete. As the races progressed the wind filled in to a very pleasant Force 3.
Race 1 started from the normal start line off Liverpool Marina and saw the yachts racing up river with spinnakers flying until they reached the Eastham channel when they returned on a beat to the Garston side. There then followed several legs of downwind / upwind sailing before finishing between the LYC Committee Boat Gullmaren and a Garston channel marker. Race 2 started from the finishing line of Race 1 and saw the yachts beating down river on an ebb tide followed by a downwind leg before a beat, a reach, and a final beat to the finish line. In Class 1, we won the first race but were second in Race 2 which was won by former Dee SC member Neil Thomas in his Prima 38 Mighty Max 2.
Sundays weather was equally sunny but with more breeze. Grant Vaughan , Dee SC's Rent-a-Crew joined us to replace the Bates' family and with only five on board things were a little fraught at times. One longer race was held with the yachts again heading off downwind with Spinnakers flying. After the usual mix of beating, reaching and more downwind legs, we crossed the finish line behind the bigger boats but managed to take another win on handicap. This left us first overall, but with no discards in the Series, Mondays final race was suddenly rather important.
There's nothing like a skin full of ale, wine and whisky to prepare oneself for an important race and after a BBQ at ours Sunday evening, Monday dawned somewhat overcast both in terms of the weather and certainly my hangover. Anyway, it had to be done. The same five from Sunday were joined by Barbera's dad Brian Fogg. After a good start we headed off down the Garston Channel under spinnaker before a two-sail reach over towards Eastham and then back to the Liverpool side. A long beat back down to the line cost us dearly. It normally pays to stay close in to the wall on the Liverpool side and keep out of the tide but on this occasion it didn't. Stronger breezes favored the yachts that stayed out in the middle of the river and we lost a lot of ground on this leg. A final run downwind and another beat back to the finish was enjoyable sailing but the damage was done. Neil won in Mighty Max and we only managed third, losing out on second place by 10 seconds.
Ali, Brige, John & Barbera helming Sleeper
So, scores of 1,2,1,3 gave us second place overall. Neil Thomas took first place with 2,1,2,1. Pretty close over the weekend and a good start to the season.
1 st . Neil Thomas, Prima 38, Mighty Bax 2
2 nd . Alasdair & Brigid, John & Barbera, Projection 920, Sleeper
3 rd . Dave Unthank, Pogo 850, Seaker
Alasdair Davidson
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