Peer Pressure wins Lymington Town Sailing Club's Silver Tiller
LAST Sunday the Lymington Merlin Rocket fleet competed for the Silver Tiller Extension.
The event featured one race where the winner takes all the glassware from the class event cancelled due to lack of wind back in October.
The conditions could not have been more different with 25 plus knots greeting the nine keen crews on Sunday morning.
The club race saw three boats depart from the race course early, leaving six boats in contention for the inaugural Silver Tiller Extension.
The competitors were class newbies David and Vicki Lenz (Peer Pressure); newlyweds but pros in a breeze Tim and Lucy Harridge (The General Lee); John Cooper and Becci Wigley who joined the fleet two years ago and are getting to grips with 2 Planks; RS200 National Champion crew Rob Henderson (Wild at Heart); James Ellis, Ben Green and Alex Ogilvie (The Dream Machine) and Nick Simmons with Dan Martin (Smokey).
Before the race the tide turned, and the waves decreased significantly as the race finally got underway under the watchful eye of race officer Nigel Walbank in winds gusting up to 26 knots.
Unfortunately, not all the Merlins had realised how strong the incoming tide was and The General Lee hit the pin end of the line which resulted in a quick 360 and left them chasing the pack.
At the first windward mark it was a packed rounding for three boats. Peer Pressure popped round first coming in on port followed by Wild at Heart and Smokey.
Spinnaker hoists were fast and furious, however for some a little too quick! Wild at Heart and Smokey went for an early swim allowing the red spinnaker of 2 Planks to ease into second followed by The General Lee.
Positions in the race stayed the same for the rest of the race. The General Lee fought right to the end, holding their kite most of the way up the river to the finish trying to sneak past 2 Planks but to no avail.
Result: 1, Peer Pressure, Dave and Vicky Lenz; 2, 2 Planks, John Cooper and Becci Wigley; 3, The General Lee, Tim and Lucy Harridge.
