My job is to thank the staff at the Royal Lymington who organised the event wonderfully, Mike Cowen and race team for great courses and Ed Donald who had the idea for a Regatta in Lymington and to everyone who entered.

A special thanks to Jonathan (Wombat) who put up the crews from Hamble and to Gill (Fritha) who helped with organisation.

 
Reports below from Ed and Cy Grisley which make fun reading. Both reports are great and reflect what a fun weekend everyone from Lymington, Yarmouth and Hamble enjoyed.
 

Cy Grisley Gybe N….5 race report…

Race 1: Gybing went left up the first beat but Mistral, if Only and Tak took advantage of the tide that was still pushing and rounded first, this lead for Tak and Mistral continued until the last leeward mark where if only tacked early and went left with Gybe n’ taking advantage of a left shift to rotate inside Tak and Mistral. At the finish there was 4 boat lengths between 1st and 3rd.
 
Race 2:  The tide had changed so it was a game of chicken with the mud to work the beat up the shore. Tight crosses was the order of the day between if only, Mistral, Fithra, Madeleine and Gybe n’. Madeleine got a little too close and went hard onto the mud. There were 5 place changes up the beat for the lead with Gybe n’ closely followed by if only. At the leeward mark on the last lap it was close with if only all the way to the line.
 
Race 3: If Only won the pin and therefore the race to the shore. A left shift as she hit the beach gave her the advantage how Fritha work the shifts off shore well and popped out with a health lead along with Valhalla, Madeleine, Samphire was not far behind followed by Gybe n’ and if only. At the A the leeward mark there were 5 boats all arriving at the same time. Fritha lead followed by Valhalla, if only, samphire, Madeleine and Gybe n’. Gybe n’ punched out low and then built height again to reach the shore within 5 boat lengths of if only. A tacking duel then developed with boat boats matching each other. A left shift meant they both drove parallel with the shore and Gybe n’ was just inside so benefited from the inside. Neck and neck intill if only tacked on the next knock and Gybe n’ just made it across in front. Another’s duel started but Gybe n’ managed to stay clear.
 
Some of the closest racing in a long time with so many lead changes throughout every race. All the crews were exhausted after the three races.

Day two

More wind.
 
Race 4:  Gybe n’ won the pin and went left middle, if only, Valhalla, Madeleine, Tak, Mistral  went right. At the top mark if only round with a comfortable lead followed by Madeleine, Valhalla then Gybe n’. Madeleine followed if only up the shore while Valhalla and Gybe n’ moved out as the tide had started to ebb. Gybe n’ overhauled Valhalla and got inside Madelaine by the leeward mark. If only maintained her healthy lead. The Beene was more left so the left paid up the second beat with Tak coming through well to 4th. Madeleine maintained her 3rd down the run to the finish.
 
Race 5: The result put if only in the driving seat with gybe n’ on equal points but if only having won race 4 she had it on count back. So it was all about who beat who in the last race.
 
If Only won the pin and led to the shore followed by Gybe n’ and Valhalla. At the shore the tide was super high so it was hard to judge the best point to tack. Gybe n’ took it in further than both if only and Valhalla and was closed to shore when a big left shift his the fleet. Fritha meanwhile worked the shifts further off shore and as the fleet moved up past Pylewell lake she popped into the shore in second. Valhalla and if only were in a tacking du themselves which allowed Gybe n’ to escape a little. At the windward mark it was Gybe n’ then Fritha followed by Valhalla and then if only. Fritha sailed the downwind leg better then the rest of the fleet and popped out in 1st at black rock. The tide was very strong now so it was almost fully on the breeze again to mark L. Gybe n’ went low (to low) which allowed Valhalla and if only to close right up by L. Gybe n’ managed the shift well to overall Fritha and then extended while Fritha, Valhalla and if only exchanged place all the way up the beat to Y. If only went left having lead Fritha and Valhalla at Y which allowed a Fritha to come back and take a well deserved 2nd in the last race.

ED Donald Report..

At the Friday evening briefing, Madelaine and Fritha agreed to an informal 2 handed series for the Saturday of the regatta, as both were short handed. During the first race, Fritha kindly reminded us that we had missed the spreader mark. Ed asked Lisa if she could see it as Madelaine approached the leeward mark and on the second round at the windward mark the penny dropped, there it was, the blue spreader mark after the black windward mark, which we had completely missed on the first round. Realising our mistake and with the spinnaker in a pickle, we laughed about the school boy error and retired - any excuse to fly the flag for Fiji! With 2 retirements and a 7th on Saturday, Fritha won the 2 handed series and bragging rights by a country mile. Highlight of Saturday was leading the fleet into Tanners on race 2 and going hard aground, it gave new meaning to a fleet sail past! Thanks to Gybe n's quick thinking and VHF skills while racing, a rib soon arrived to haul us off, just before the ledge we were perched on dried out!  
 
Sunday saw us race 4 up by error, as we were unable to transfer Mike who recently joined the FB WhatsAppCrew onto Bossa Nova safely on the water in the prevailing conditions and the committee vessels were not made for soft landings! So Bossa Nova sailed the day with 2 crew and Madelaine sailed with 4. Given Liesa's weight, we calculated we were still within the 250kg NFIA limit and were looking forward to joining the fleet for another day at the races. Liesa was mighty relieved to welcome Marcus on board as Madelaines 3rd crew for the day, having also recently joined the FB WhatsAppCrew. We had a fun days racing in breezy and variable conditions and with Liesa on foredeck and Marcus on jib trim, Madelaine relished the conditions and competitive racing towards the front of the fleet. During the river finish on the last race, Y proved interesting to spot and there was a significant wind shift by the platform, which catapulted Madelaine from 5th to 2nd for seconds, Fritha and If Only slipping away to 2nd and 3rd respectively, with Gybe n finished and homeward bound.
 
We really enjoyed the racing, the socials, the camaraderie on and off the water.
 
All our thanks on board Madelaine go to Chris, Mike and the RLYC for organising and running such a professional and fun weekend regatta on and off the water. Looking forward to the RSltYC Taittinger in July and RAFYC Battle of Britain in September to complete the Summer Weekend Regatta Series, when Lisa hopes she can concentrate fully on the socialising and can skip the racing!.
 

Lymington Folkboat Captain, Chris Fox