A strong current caused by the recent heavy rainfall made racing challenging on Sunday for Welland Yacht Club’s Carl Bilbie Pursuit Regatta.
Being a pursuit race handicaps are applied before the start with the slowest boat setting off first and sailing for 50 minutes with other boats setting off a number of minutes later according to their handicap.
First away were Andy Prior and grandson Harry Jackson sailing the little RS Feva, followed by the Solos of Helen Boyd and Ian Thompson three minutes later. Then, one minute ten seconds later, came Andy Agar sailing an OK.
The first leg involved a close reach sailing up river against a very strong current which meant that at times the boats were making little headway.
When the Feva of Prior and Jackson got into an area where the wind was sheltered by some trees, it was hardly moving, allowing the group of chasing boats to close the gap significantly.
As the boats turned the corner onto the mile straight, it was a beat against the current but fortunately the wind had increased allowing the boats to make good headway.
Prior and Jackson benefited by having the smaller boat which could get closer to the banks out of the flow and were able to keep their lead, although Agar had got past the Solos and was gaining.
As the boats turned the top mark they benefitted from the strong current pushing them downstream at pace.
Prior and Jackson held off Agar for all of the downwind leg but Agar finally overtook them at Shelly’s Bush Corner and remained in front to take first place at the end of the 50 minutes.
All through the race Boyd and Thompson had been changing places but at 50 minutes Boyd was in front of Thompson to take third place.
The wind had picked up for the second race with boats making better progress up river, allowing Prior and Jackson to build up a good lead before the Solos started.
Neal Tack and Rebecca Slater joined the race sailing their new Laser 2000 and despite starting last they got the perfect start and cut through the majority of the fleet within the first leg.
As Prior and Jackson got onto the beat the pack led by the Laser 2000 was ominously close.
Agar suffered a poor mark rounding and dropped back.
The little Feva managed to extend its lead on the downwind leg and held off the bigger boats for most of the second lap.
Boyd sailed well to overtake the quicker Laser 2000 and was closing in on Prior and Jackson as she rounded the bottom mark with only minutes to go.
Boyd overtook them with seconds to spare and took a well-deserved first place, with Prior and Jackson taking their second second place of the day.
Tack and Slater took third from Agar in fourth and then Thompson in fifth.
Overall Prior and Jackson took the trophy from Boyd by just one point.
Agar finished with the same points as Boyd but was relegated to third on countback. Thompson was fourth and Tack and Slater fifth.
