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Thursday 25th April – Spring Evening Series     NW2 Pursuit W  6.15pm       

McDonald in the Pink

Thursdays light winds suited the largest sail area & lightest of crews.  With no skiffs on the Helford, the next best for these conditions is undoubtedly the RS400 with capacious spinnaker. Especially in Neon Pink and crew Roger McDonald & Beccy Kestin in the peak of condition.

The Laser fleet were first of from the Helford Pursuit start line in front of the Club House. The larger full rigs whittling away the minute and a half handicap advantage of the radials on the slow drift to the mouth of the river under Toll.

Next of the double handers with Brooks playing it safe without deploying kite with daughter Zoe on her first race in Laser II. By the time the lasers were on the beat back up stream the RS400’s set forth all sails flying, catching leading Laser Andy Biggs on the run back down river from Voose rocks.

The lightest of airs were found under Trebah and again by Voose smothering the performance of the Lasers. Faced with early victualing a cold and hungry teenager or completing another drift to rivers mouth Brooks chose wisely.   That left Phil Philpott and Carrie Hoskins to make it back to shore behind race leader McDonald, with Messer’s Greensmith and Brandreth towing a grateful laser fleet home before last orders.

Results: 1^st Roger McDonald, 2^nd Phil Philpott, 3^rd Andy Biggs

Captain Dinghies Andy Biggs thanks all those supporting the fleet on the day

Safety cover: Paul Greensmith & Dom Brandreth

Guest Photographer: Paul Greensmith