Sunshine and a steady 15 knots of breeze greeted the competitors for the first day of Vattenfall Ramsgate Week. The week began with a mini coastal series, taking place from Monday to Wednesday for IRC Classes 1 and 2, with one race per day. Cruiser Classes are treated to one coastal race a day from Monday to Saturday, with courses taking them along the scenic coastline stretching from Sandwich to Botany Bay. Sponsors for the day are Aktrion and Business Computer Solutions
IRC Class 1
IRC Class 1 got off to a good start. Peter Jackson on Assassin took the seaward route and was first to the Deal Bank mark. Kokokai, the First 44.7, was four boat lengths behind. Deal Bank was a bare away and set, by which time the breeze was up to 20 knots, gusting 25 South Westerly. It was an exciting close reach from Deal Bank to Deal Dolphin and a broad reach spinnaker run from Deal Dolphin to Rally Design. After the Rally Design mark, the X35 Xwaves was the only boat that managed to hold their spinnaker to the next mark. It was a close reach to finish where Xwaves flew their spinnaker and closed the gap with Kokokai. By this time the wind was up to 30 knots. Kokokai took line honours in the three hour race. Kokokai won the race, with Xwaves coming a close second on corrected time and Assassin third.
IRC Class 2
IRC Class 2 began the race with a six mile foul tide beat. The first boat to round the windward mark was John Allen's X302 Antix, closely followed by the X99 Xpedite, with Reaction third. Class 2 enjoyed a long spinnaker run along the Sandwich Coast line. The race was won on corrected time by the Impala 28, Reaction sailed by Paul Woodward and John Barratt. Antix was second, with Scallywag II third.
Cruiser Classes 5 & 6
Both Cruiser Class 5 with the use of spinnakers prohibited and Class 6 with no sail restriction sailed the same course for the first day of Vattenfall Ramsgate Week. The course took them inshore to Stonar, before heading south down to Deal Dolphin. The wise half of the fleet decided to take inshore to take advantage of the slacker tide, splitting the fleet. There was a three knot tide at the Downs, and some boats round it hard to round the mark. The final leg took the fleet the inshore route to Rally Design, back down to Stonar and finish. The wind, at times, was up gusting up to 25 knots, which was more than forecast and there were some breakages in the fleet.
In Class 5 Lance Stevens' Grand Soleil 50 Sydney II took line honours to win the race, with Frank Martin's Dynamic 37 Suprise taking second place and Hugh Cripps Impala 28 Sunbird taking third.
Class 6 was won by Kenneth Lees Sigma 35 Rush, with Mirage and Mallard taking second and third respectively.
Competitors can enjoy the Happy Hour everyday in the club house from 18:00 to 19:00, courtesy of Shepherd Neame. There's live music tonight in the with 'One Love'.
Best wishes,
The Vattenfall Ramsgate Week Committee
Best wishes,
The Vattenfall Ramsgate Week Committee
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