Making up for our disappointment from the last 2 weeks, we came back stronger and we were finally able to race in good conditions and without incident, triumphantly taking first place on the water and second place on corrected time.

 

The race was held in 6 to 10 knots with the wind fitfully moving from the North East to South East. Both beats and runs were testing in these light breezes and staying in the better pressure was hard work.

 

The 18 strong Class Two fleet includes most of the current production Cruiser Racers as well as some successfully one offs and it is testament to the X-35 that her performance keeps us to the fore.

 

At the appointed start time of 10.00 there was no wind - or, to be more accurate, just a very little. Up went the APs, and everyone settled in for a long wait, hoping that racing would not have to be abandoned again, but after a 2 hour tedious wait, racing was underway. However due to a collision on the start line within our 5 minute warning, a boat on Port tack collided with us, holing our boat and snapping the spinnaker pole. Our frantic repairs enabled us to race competitively to finish second but to be later judged OCS.

 

There was disappointment for more than a thousand sailors when lack of breeze caused racing to be abandoned for all of the eleven classes on the first day of this popular Solent series.

A gentle gust was all that was available when racing was due to begin at 10.00, but it turned out to be the best the morning had to offer, and by 11.30 it had dropped to nothing. The inevitable result was the raising of "AP over A", which was the signal for the huge fleet to return reluctantly to the Hamble.