Bowmoor SC Phantom Report - 13th April 2024
Written by Ben Dancer
**apologies for the delay in adding to the website
Bowmoor Phantom Open © Lynn Bateman Photography
Bowmoor SC greeted a 17 strong phantom fleet to start the Midlands first open meeting of the year. With 4 races planned, the race committee set what was was effectively a double sausage course with fast reaches interlinking them in an X like pattern. 2 races back to back in the morning with the wind increasing over lunch into 2 races back to back in the afternoon.
The report comes from a rather pee’d 5th place who capsized twice in leading positions, which was a common theme throughout the day with Duncan Adams and Sam Coxon suffering the same fate.
Race 1
Sailing in pressure coming down the course paid off and an early pack of 5 boats separated from the fleet after the windward mark, Bowmoor sailor Charlie Samson took the win followed by fellow Bowmoor Chris Jenkins and Duncan Adams in 3rd.
Race 2
A busy 1st windward mark and a very questionable port approach (early season rustiness?) from 3 out of the top 5 boats within a boat length of the mark meant right of way boats tacking off to avoid collisions and those that sailed out from this cleanly managed to separate from the rest of the fleet with Chris Jenkins taking the win followed by Charlie Samson and Sam Coxon in 3rd.
Race 3
More wind after lunch meant a chance to rake the rigs back upwind and what followed was plenty of action with leaders capsizing. Firstly, Duncan Adams capsizing on the reach https://www.facebook.com/797190205/videos/417075264299890/ (Video credit from Olly Hopkins) after the first beat, Ben took the lead but suffered the same fate 2 laps later down the run allowing Charlie Samson to take another bullet, Sam Coxon in 2nd and Mike Tustin in 3rd.
Race 4
It was Sam Coxon turn to test his capsize technique from 1st position in the first lap, who subsequently exchanged places with Ben who took another swim a short while up the 2nd beat whilst tacking, allowing Duncan who was sailing fast behind to convincingly pull away to take the final win, followed by Charlie in 2nd and Ben in 3rd.
Overall results:
1st Charlie Samson (Bowmoor SC) net points 4
2nd Chris Jenkins (Bowmoor SC) net points 8
3rd Duncan Adams (Burton SC) net points 8
(my best recall of the day, will submit this to Y&Y on monday / tuesday along with full results and any pics that gets added with credit, happy to make any amends if need be!!)
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