PLYMOUTH ROUND 2, 4 HEATS, 5TH AND 6TH MAY 07


Plymouth has always been a good venue for OCR, the sea conditions always lend to good racing. This year the 9 boats took to a slight to moderate choppy sea. The circuit although slightly shorter, made better viewing for the public.
The 2 heats on Saturday were very entertaining and thrilling for spectators and racers’ alike. Different could be said about the Harbour Master who was quite concerned at the antics of some if not most of the boats, who were taking wide turns on buoy 6 and giving him cause for concern at the boats slalom through the Corinthian visitors buoy’s, as the rocks were only a few meters away. The Officer of the Day (OOD) was asked to move the buoy seaward for heat 2 if racing was to continue.

The start runs were as close to perfection as one could expect. All the boats lined up at headed off to the first turn buoy at the drop of the union flag. I cant say how they lined up as at the time I was aware of A9 and A30 who were over taking us on either side, and I was holding on tight as the dreaded first turn was approaching, no chance to look back. Stuart Williams and Steve Yabsley took the clear water and were off into the horizon, only to be seen again at the end of the heat in the centre of the course celebrating their first win, Bernico Bob McCarthy and Nigel Couch in A9 took the second place and were not easy to get past, Mark and myself in A11 spent the whole of heat 1 caught in the wrath of the Bernicos wake, not a nice experience. It is too hard to overtake the Bernico unless you have the legs on it in a faster boat.

Heat 2 was again A30’s to win, Stuart and Steve are flying this season after Steve having found a blockage in the fuel system which gave them problems at round 1 in Torquay, Steve found the problem too soon I reckon. This heat however we arrived at the turn buoy ahead of Bernico Bob so it was a problem less to contend with. Being stuck in the wake of a phantom, is no comparison to the wake of the Bernico, the ride is smoother. I don’t want to think what it will be like when Jeremy Gibson gets to grips with his new Bernico, double the wrath??

On the Sunday the sea was lumpier, Mark decided to go for a different prop and it paid off. From the start we took the lead, however it was not long lived as A30 shot past us, we managed to see a glimpse of turquoise and heard an engine, so I guess it was A30. Mark and I took second place and Bob and Nigel took third in heat 3.
Heat 4 was the most entertaining for the lead boats. Mark and I took the lead and were in sight of the chequered flag and on the home run when A30 appeared on our starboard side at buoy 4, only 2 more buoys to go and we would be home and dry, or so we thought. We got home behind A30 again and not as dry as we would have liked, A30 crossed our path and sent a wall of water into our boat. 2 seconds separated the 2 boats; I think it is the closest finish in the 3 seasons I have been racing for.

On recovering the boat and getting back to the pits, the spectators only commented on the other boats, how they battled for the minor places and made the race interesting, they clashed with each other collided and scraped buoys and put on a show, contrary to the procession that the lead boats put on. A19 Jeremy Gibson was flung out of his boat on buoy 6 in front of and as close to the public as possible, A13 The Lawton brother’s hit a buoy and were very lucky as on one of the turns the boat was on it’s starboard side and the driver Graham had his torso under water, he managed to put his foot down and take control of his boat and was soon on the race line again competing to take his 4th position. A10 went over between buoy 4 and 5, thankfully Phil and Nicky were unharmed, but I was right when I christened the Concorde, The yellow Submarine, in place of its registered name The Black Pearl. Steve and Alison in A2 and Richard and Jake in A29 seemed to come out unscathed of this battle, but if the case is not so I will let you know on the next report. Credit to James and Mark who crewed Avago Racing A25, a boat that is for hire for first time racers. James drove superbly and did himself proud he finished in a respectable 6th position. I am also told that this must be the first weekend that A25 has actually started and finished a race without any problems.

A30 overall 1st, A11 overall 2nd and A9 overall 3rd, for the rest of the placings and RYA/OCR positions see the point’s table.

By Gringo J (A11)