Noble effort on the water for event hosted by Exe Sailing Club

Exmouth born and raised, Lee Sydenham and son Max (1540), were quick out the blocks and led the pack on the left-hand side. Ian Martin/Chris Catt (1603) and Arran Holman/Toby Lewis (1611) were already battling between themselves on the right; and eventually crossed the port approachers.

The downwind was super patchy and avoiding the lulls was key to a good leg but hooking in to the huge squall down the right was key to a great leg. James Peters and Maddy Anderson (1675), our 2019 Champions, put on a real showcase of surfing and marginal planning to recover from a poor first windward leg. However, they ultimately couldn't catch the two at the front who fought all the way to the finish, where Ian and Chris took the win.

Breeze was up for the second race and pressure had filled across the course, making it much more boat-speed focussed. Arran and Toby came in from the right, James and Maddy up the middle, and Charlie and I (1609) came from the left.

Positions changed regularly downwind as we looked for pressure. The three boats settled in for a long hike off out to the right, where Charlie put both the other crews to shame and rolled over Arran and Toby.

Unfortunately, whilst Charlie was doing her job excellently, her helm let Arran and Toby tack and get bow forward. After a nice shift, they had the lead at the mark. James and Maddy had an issue with their kite tack giving two boats a helpful headstart for the final leg.

Maddy finished her foredeck bimbling and they set their sights on catching us up. Sailing low and without missing a wave, they soaked inside as Arran and I sent it to the left; sacrificing our depth for speed and the possibility of rolling one another. Some well-placed positioning gybes saw James neutralise Arran’s attacks and take the win.

Loving life on the water (Image: Tom Hurley)

Boats out in Lyme Bay (Image: Tom Hurley)