Day 2 of International Race Week 2007 saw Stuart Jardine and his crew on Gripper consolidate their lead with a consistent performance.
The forecast was for 15-20 knots out of the west clocking to NW 10-15. The sun was shining as we made our way out to the race course, to find Cleo tucked away below Pearl and 2 windward marks set, one so far away I think it was in South America.
The sequence was Etchells > J24s > IODs > 105s. We watched keenly as Peter Bromby wound up for the first Etchells start at the favoured end. Then it was our turn for a 2 lap affair. It was a relatively clean start unless you were Brien Storey on Shogun, who was called OCS and did not go back, despite all the shouting. We bailed out of the melee into clean air and managed to catch a good set of lifts to be in a good position at the first windward mark with New Wave and Gripper, who seemed to be match racing. The numbers called for an early gybe, which gave us clear air as the Etchells ploughed down from their longer course and started mixing things up. We managed to get to the downwind mark around the front of the pack and sailed a good upwind to be in contention with Gripper on the final downwind. We played the shifts and managed to sneak clear by half a boat length, which we held until the finish. Trevor Boyce finished third.
What then followed was “faffage”. The wind shifted, the RC deliberated, reset the start, moved the upwind marks, then moved them back again as the wind shifted back. Plenty of time for us to relax in the glorious sunshine.
The second race was another 2 lap affair. We started with clear air and managed to get a good lift on the left. Gripper was looking way down, and Solaise, with Erik Koppernaes helming in a neck brace, was flying. On Sadiiqi we played some great shifts and managed to sneak ahead of them. Again, we were in contention, but Stuart Jardine was not giving up. At the first windward mark it was again a question of avoiding the Etchells on their run. We steered clear, as did Gripper, but some of the other J24s in the fleet managed to get caught in the mix. Now it was interesting - we were sailing against J24s and Etchells. We looked to be in a commanding position on the next upwind but Gripper clawed her way back and maneged to get inside us as we tacked for the windward mark. They rounded first and as we searched for shifts they got away from us. Behind us, New Wave and Siren were coming on strong, and as we hit a flat patch in the middle they began to challenge. Siren, going left, was coming in at speed at the finish, but we managed to hold them off by no more than a boatlength for second place behind Stuart Jardine. New Wave finished close behind Siren for fourth spot.
The wind shifted and more faffing about ensued with the RC. They were providing some light entertainment over the VHF channel as the mark boat picked up the mark still being used by the 105s, who by this time were sailing to Miami and back. It went back in time for the 105s mark rounding.
The final race of the day was another 2 lapper, for a change. Another clean start saw us trucking down the left with New Wave and Siren. We managed to pinch up on New Wave, to their consternation, and put ourselves in a good position on the left. Unfortunately, the right side of the course was favoured, and Papillon and Gripper (who else?) were out there at speed. They rounded the first windward mark together, but Papillon got their chute flying quicker for an early advantage. Gripper then outfoxed them on the gybes and was in the lead. Behind them, Solaise were going like a bullet and we were in there too. The second upwind saw the breeze drop slightly, and we managed to sneak ahead of Solaise and Papillon into second, with Stuart Jardine out in front. The final downwind saw the breeze drop out in the middle, where we were, and Solaise capitalised and nipped in at the committee boat to grab second by a whisker. We took third spot with New Wave not far behind.
So Stuart Jardine on Gripper fnished the day with a 2-1-1. Sadiiqi led the local boats for the day with a 1-2-3, with New Wave close behind with a 3-4-4. Behind those three there is a pack of boats closely bunched.