A HASTILY re-arranged course was necessary for the opening race of the Heritage Group Frostbite Series, with the Brehon buoy apparently missing. The starter had to announce the changes over the radio when it was discovered that the buoy, situated just south of the Brehon Tower, appeared to have gone astray.
Despite that problem, the 14 yachts got away to a clean start in the fresh-to-strong wind, with racers and cruisers setting off together but following different courses.
Organised by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club, the popular series of six races is held in the Little Russel over the winter period when most yachts are generally laid up ashore.
X-celerator (Martin Ozard and Steve Morris) and the two rival Melges 24s sailed by Simon Henning and his son Michael were soon at the Anfre mark and leading the racing class around the course.
These fast yachts carry spinnakers even in strong winds and looked very impressive making anything up to 20 knots skimming across the waves.
X-celerator broached badly in a stronger wind at the Aigillon mark near Jethou, but she managed to recover, albeit with a broken spinnaker guy, maintaining the lead and taking line honours at the Castle finish, closely followed by White Rabbit (Henning jnr) and March Hare (Henning snr).
However, John Falla’s Swan 36 Banjaard and the Mark Huntley/Julian Hunt Glory Days were both well sailed and took second and third respectively behind X-celerator on handicap.
In the cruising class, it was the sponsor’s yacht, Lady of Aquitaine, helmed by Martin Belcher that led the way initially, over a slightly shorter course.
The Sadler 34 Busker of Stuart McKerrell and Brian Parkin was expertly sailed with reefed main and working genoa - just the right sail combination for these conditions.
They worked their way round, changing places several times with Altair (John Frankland) and Aquitaine, to be first over the line and first on handicap. Elona (Roger Perrot), also well sailed, took on the brisk conditions to take a creditable second on handicap.
Rival Errant (Ted McDonaugh) had an exciting tussle with Dark Horse (Mark Dunster) at the start, with the former eventually placing third on handicap.
Dark Horse had to retire with a damaged rig.
Article posted on 17th January, 2007 - 12.00am
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