Van Haren hangs on

Sunday saw the delayed start of the Frostbite series of races that will take Welland Yacht Club racing up to Boxing Day .
Wind conditions for the first race were almost ideal but a forecast of an increase during the day may have contributed to a reduced number of five boats taking to the water.
The wind blowing straight down the river gave a tacking start away from the clubhouse to the turning buoy, halfway down the mile straight. Gerri van Haren in the larger Phantom was away first on the favoured port tack, just avoiding the right of way boats of Eric Murray in the Mirror, Neil Tack and Rebecca Slator in the Graduate, followed by Alistair Mitchell in the Laser Radial and Richard Stedman in the Comet.
Mitchell accelerated on the longer port tack into second place. Tack and Slator called right of way on Stedman, nearly resulting in a visit to the bank but this was narrowly avoided.
With clear air, Van Haren was away and revelled in the stronger winds, pulling away from Mitchell. Once round Chilvers Corner it was a tight reach with boats having to luff up in the gusts in an effort not to have to put a tack in.
The race officer had been kind to the sailors and had not included a gybe on either of the rounding marks so it was Van Haren first ,followed by Mitchell, Tack and Slator, Stedman and Murray.
A broad reach and run now favoured the Phantom and the lead was lengthening and some boats had tricky moments when the gybe was forced on them just round Chilvers Corner but all stayed upright. With gusts increasing, conditions were too much for Stedman in the Comet and he retired as he passed the clubhouse.
Van Haren held the lead and the order remained the same for the second lap. After 40 minutes of racing he had pulled out a four-minute lead but it was not enough once handicaps applied and Mitchell secured first position by 12 seconds with Van Haren second, Tack and Slator third and Murray fourth.
The four boats started the second race apprehensively with the wind increasing and gusts becoming stronger as they tacked away from the club. Tack and Slator were first over the line but having to tack on to port as they were caught by Van Haren who had right of way. He took the lead, which in the faster boat was never threatened. Mitchell then had to give way to Tack and Slator, a battle that kept going right up to the first turning buoy, which Tack and Slator won with Murray fourth. With Van Haren disappearing over the horizon, it was the places behind being fought over. When Mitchell rounded the buoy the wrong way, he had to sail back and unwind and re-round, which was not easy in the wind. That allowed Tack and Slator to take a lead. However, this time Van Haren had pulled out a big enough lead to secure first place, ahead of Tack and Slator with Mitchell third and Murray fourth.