Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales
(photo: Thorneycroft)
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Exhibitionist (X-332)
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Checkmate PBO Mainsail (First 40.7 Chimera)
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Xplorer (X-332) checks out the conditions
prior to the start of Race 4
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Dickies' Banks Checkmate Kevlar Mainsail
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Warsash Spring Series
race reports
Race 1 | Race 2 | Race
3 | Race 4 | Race
5
Race 1
The first race of this year's Series was sailed
on March 18 in a cold breeze of 13-20 knots which helped blow
away the winter cobwebs!
Congratulations to the crews of Exhibitionist (X-332, below
left) and Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales (First 31.7, left) who
scored victories in IRC 3 and IRC 4 respectively. Both boats
have only recently been launched and by winning on their first
competitive outing have proven once again that Banks Sails are
fast straight out of the bag.
Another Banks Sails powered boat competing in its first race
was the First 40.7 Chimera. In a large and very competitive
IRC 2 class, Chimera led the fleet around the first couple of
marks until some boat-handling difficulties let them down! They
eventually scored an excellent third place on corrected time.
Race 2
The second race of the Series was sailed in conditions similar
to the first with a breeze of 13-20 knots. The tide which built
strongly through the race was also an important factor.
Banks-Sails-powered boats once again scored plenty of podium
positions. In IRC 2 Chimera recovered from a mediocre first
beat to finish first of the five Beneteau 40.7s both on the
water and on handicap. In only her second race since being launched
she also score a third in Class on corrected time. Flying her
PBO Medium/Heavy No1 Chimera showed excellent upwind speed across
the variable conditions particularly on the last beat where
she extended her lead over the next 40.7 by two minutes.
In IRC 4 the First 31.7 Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales repeated
their win in Race 1 with another victory.
In the Sigma 38s Light used her Banks Sails No.1 Genoa to win
by just one second!
As part of the white group the Bowsprit Class had two races
and the J105 Moontiger scored a third in both.
Race 3
Competitors in Race 3 of the Series had to contend
with a very fickle wind of mainly 6-11 knots (but with some
holes!) and some tricky cross tide legs. As well as this it
seemed to be a particularly busy day for Solent shipping…
After leading around the first few marks of the course in IRC
2, the Banks-Sails-powered First 40.7 Chimera suffered as the
wind filled in down the last run allowing the slower boats in
the Class to snatch the top places on corrected time. For the
second week running, however, Chimera was first of the five
40.7s racing, demonstrating the superiority of our latest 40.7
sails.
In IRC 3 it was a repeat of Race 1 as the top two places were
taken by X-332s flying Banks Sails. Well done to Exhibitionist
and Xplorer (both left); both boats carried Checkmate Cuben
Fiber No.1 Genoas and showed great upwind speed in the tricky
conditions to pull well away from the rest of their fleet.
Race 4
As the wind died, shifted dramatically and then
filled in again many competitors in the fourth race of the Series
were caught off guard and boats which had so far not been at
the front got their chance for glory, albeit sometimes only
for a few minutes!
In IRC 2 the Banks-Sails-powered First 40.7 Chimera (left) took
the lead at the second mark and held this position all the way
around the course. The crew have now only been sailing the boat
for just over a month and feel there is plenty more speed to
come. Yesterday (22.4) was the first time their Checkmate PBO
Light No.1 has been used in a race and it proved its worth on
the second beat as they pulled well ahead of the fleet. Chimera
scored an excellent third place on corrected time.
In IRC 3 there was a familiar winner as the Banks-Sails-powered
X-332 Exhibitionist scored her third victory in the Series.
The crew are particularly pleased with their Checkmate Kevlar
Mainsail which is a new design for this year.
In IRC 4 the First 31.7 Dickies Yacht Sales tightened their
grip on the Series by scoring a second to add to their two first
places so far. Dickies carries a complete set of Banks Sails
comprising Checkmate Kevlar Main, Light No.1, Medium/Heavy No.1,
Blade No.3 as well as Light and All Purpose Series 2000 spinnakers.
Race 5
For the penultimate race in the Series, crews
had to contend with a brisk breeze of around 18 knots. It was
a great day for Banks Sails powered boats with Exhibitionist
(X-332, above left) and Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales (First
31.7, above left) both securing the Series win in their respective
IRC classes.
In a very competitive IRC 3 Exhibitionist has scored 1,5,1,1,2
enabling the fifth place to be discarded ensuring a Series win
on five points with a race to spare. In yesterday's race they
scored a second behind Flair III.
Crewsaver Dickies Yacht Sales again dominated IRC 4 scoring
another win to add to their previous 1,1,7,2. Discarding the
seventh, they are also counting five points to clinch the Series
with a race to spare.
The Banks Sails powered J105 Moontiger also celebrated a third
and a second place in the two Bowsprit races held during the
day.
To find out what Banks Sails can do to help your speed call
Hugh Myers at the loft on 01489
582444.
Back to Reports and results
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