Lymington River Scow National Championship 2009 - 18/19 July 2009

Strong winds - challenging racing - Juniors excel!

Twenty nine Lymington River Scows entered their National Championship hosted by Lymington Town Sailing Club (LTSC) on 18/19 July 2009. These small boats were designed for sailing in the creeks and river and found the conditions in the Solent challenging!

Three races were run on the Saturday. Race Officer Nigel Walbank and his race team set a triangle/sausage course which was laid by the volunteer safety boat team.

With a carefully planned pin end start, Harry (14 years old) and Steve Boyd (LTSC) crossed the fleet on port tack. Having established an early lead, they retained it and subsequently won all three races. Steve in full praise of his son’s magnificent achievement subsequently said he could not have sailed the boat better himself! (Steve and Harry won the 2008 National Championship with Steve at the helm).

Meanwhile, further down the fleet boats were capsizing, masts were breaking, three boats retired before the start. Only eleven boats completed all three races! The safety boats were kept busy assisting boats and towing a few boats back to base.

Ashore the boats were returning with happy sailors saying “we have never planed in a Scow before”, “the conditions were challenging”. The older sailors were wet and tired but exhilarated - several disappointed that their boats had not withstood the conditions.

On Sunday morning the wind was stronger and the tide against the wind had created a severe chop. The competitors voted to stay ashore although a few were disappointed not to be racing again - the vast majority praised the decision.

At the prizegiving all the many volunteers who had assisted with the event were thanked and the Class Association thanked and praised LTSC for its friendliness, shoreside assistance and race management.

Andrew Smith and Jack Collings (RlymYC and Frensham Pond Sailing Club) were the first junior team (helm and crew under 18 years old) and were a very creditable second in the overall results.

Third overall and winner of the single handed division was Simon Collyer (RLymYC).

Results

Double handed

1st Spindrift Harry & Stephen Boyd 3pts (1st overall)

2nd Mine Midori Claridge & Mayumi Knight 13pts (4th overall)

3rd Owl Philip & Jamie Gossage 21pts (5th overall)

Junior

1st Seventh Haven Andrew Smith & Jack Collings 9pts (2nd overall)

2nd Just Havenly Harriet Brien & Jack Smith 30pts (9th overall)

Single Handed

1st Kittiwake Simon Collyer 11pts (3rd overall)

2nd Swallow Sylvia Pepin 24pts (6th overall)

3rd Teal Richard Linnaker 25pts (7th overall)