sport, local-sport, Leven Yacht Club
Fourteen boats rigged up for race two in the club championship series at the Leven Yacht Club on Saturday. Reasonably calm conditions in the morning changed to lively and gusty south-westerlies just before start time. Officer of the day Anton Bezemer set a triangular course in the western bay. Cody Marshall made it onto the water but capsized his cobra in the bay before the start in increasing winds. Mere seconds after righting his boat, he was steamrolled by Amy and Katie Dodwell sailing the other cobra in the fleet, causing a minor flesh wound to Dodwell’s boat. Marshall failed to make it to the start line in time. Of the remaining boats, three who started failed to finish. Des Becker from Strahan was sailing his new toy, a seriously fast taipan, with Beth Dodwell as crew and called it quits after a high speed capsize. Basil O’Halloran and Laura Dodwell suffered a capsize at the first gybe mark and retired with gear damage. This was perhaps for the best as O’Halloran was inexplicably sailing the wrong way. This left seven boats to fight it out for the points. Colin Tunn on Pacman sailed a conservative race without hoisting his spinnaker and suffered for it, finishing in seventh a full twenty minutes behind Tom Butler sailing three up on a club RS Vision. Phil Duthoit in fifth was one minute ahead of Butler and one minute behind Isaac Mearns with Luciano Rodriguez as crew on the big go-fast blade. Mearns has been auditioning new crew every week this season in anticipation of a new ride arriving later in the season. This was Rodriguez’ first sail on a catamaran and his kiteboarding background served him well, keeping the boat well-trimmed around the course. ALSO IN SPORT Isaac Shipp and Ken Vayne sailed the Vayne’s Skud beautifully to finish third while Ron van Beek sailing solo on his cat scorched around the triangular course beating boats that on paper should have been faster to finish second. The day belonged to vice commodore John Thompson on his windsurfer one design. Hot off his second placing at the Tamar Yacht Club Spring Regatta, Thomson blitzed the fleet to win by a full five minutes on yardstick and handicap corrected times. Meanwhile, the long-range forecast is shaping up well for the annual time trial dash around the Third Sister this weekend and with some fast boats in the fleet records may well tumble. Sign up for The Advocate’s sports email newsletter here.
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Vice commodore John Thompson on his windsurfer one design.
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