Fresh from his successes in the recent La Source Grenada
Sailing Festival Regatta, Robbie Yearwood and his crew racing the club J24 Blue
By You took the number one slot in the first of the 2006 Grenada Yacht
Club races.
After a
week of big seas and “heavy” winds, Sunday was quiet and still. The
race was sailed off Grand Anse Beach and the course a sausage triangle, but
first the boats had to make it across the start line in light shifty winds!
A fairly
small fleet had assembled, with Jason Fletchers
Apero undergoing some minor repairs, Richard Szyjan the helm of
Category Five laid up with a broken
foot, Tim Sudells Saga still having
her mast repaired and an assortment of pressing engagements
keeping the other competitors away.
Mike
Williams in his Beneteau First 325 Aquilo
took an early lead, with the Commodore Darryl Braithwaite in his tri
Second Wind close on his heels. Robbie
Yearwood having been sailed onto the committee boat had to take a turn and the
other club J24 Tempest helmed by Mark
Solomon made up the fleet.
Mike
Williams was to hold the lead for the early part of the race, with only minimal
crew – me! Aquilo sailed under jib
and main only, Second Wind also
struggling with only two crew were unable to make use of their genekar, and
Mark Solomon with his new crew also had opted for jib and main. Robbie,
however, took the opportunity of the light winds to put his crew through their
paces and fly a spinnaker, a decision that was to eventually win him the race
by some 20 seconds from Aquilo. Mark
Solomon came in a credible third with Second
Wind fourth on corrected time.
Randy
Mainwaring was the race officer and not only laid the marks for the 10:30 start
but had them up quickly enough to get back to the Yacht Club and have the results posted!
It was then time to relax with a well earned beer and lunch at the recently
opened Club restaurant “The
Galley” which was doing steady business – word of their culinary
expertise has obviously already got around!
The
Grenada Yacht Club Race Programme has now been set and with a mixture of Match Racing in the J24’s,
Pursuit, and round the cans racing – 2006 looks set to be competitive and fun.
