Swan European Regatta at the Royal Yacht Squadron - Day 3
by Katy Gilmartin 15 Jul 2009 21:33 BST
13-17 July 2009
Challenging day on the Solent
The Solent provided some testing conditions for the Swan fleet on day three of the Swan European Regatta. With wind speeds in excess of 20 knots and a sea that built through the day, the fleet were tested to their limit.
The first race of the day began with a downwind start under spinnaker towards the Eastern Solent over a 15 mile course. The second race saw a change in direction, with the three classes racing over courses between 8 and 12 miles in a 25 knot south westerly breeze, with a very competitive and dramatic downwind finish for the Club Swan 42s.
In Class A, the Swan 53 Sassenach continued her dominance over her competitors, with another win to add to her already impressive scoreline. The German entry, Elan, owned and helmed by Harald Baum revelled in the stronger conditions, also winning both races – the second by over six minutes on corrected time. Baum commented, “Today we had a hard westerly wind-stream, typical for the Solent and with such a hard wind in a small area, gusting up to 35 knots, it was good to have a reef in the main. Our 37 year old swan, from Sparkman & Stephens, is a heavy weather boat which relishes these conditions. Our family crew enjoy all the swan races tremendously, and especially the SER because of the professional environment and an atmosphere where everyone knows each other and maintains a true competitive spirit of the regatta.
Class C also saw a change in positions at the front of the fleet, with the Swan 41 Moustique, owned by Alan Major, taking Race Day 3 in the class along with the overall lead.
After an exhausting day, the Swan crews will enjoy the customary Crew Party on Wednesday evening followed by a later start on Thursday for one longer coastal race around the Solent.
Results after Day 3:
Class A
1 Sassenach, Swan 53, Ian Laing (GBR) 1 – 5 – 1 – 1 – 1 - 2, 6pts
2 Silveren Swaen, Swan 53, P H Bakker (NED) 4 – 3 – 2 – 3 – 2 - 1, 11pts
3 Noonmark VI, Swan 56, Sir Geoffrey Mulcahy (GBR) 2 – 2 – 4 – 2 – 4 - 3, 13pts
Class B
1 Elan, Swan 48, Harald Baum (GER) 2 – 6 – 1 – 2 – 1 – 1, 7pts
2 Christina, Swan 40, David Segel (GBR) 4 – 3 – 2 – 1 – 3 – 2, 11pts
3 Le Quatre Juillet, Swan 411, Don Wood 5 – 1 – 3 – 4 – 2 – 3, 13pts
Class C
1 Moustique, Swan 41, Alan Major (GBR) 2 – 7 – 2 – 4 – 4 – 1, 13pts
2 Rauwolfia, Swan 371, Michel Cormier (FRA) 3 – 5 – 12 – 1 – 7 – 2, 18pts
3 Sycorax, Swan 36, Brian Dandridge (GBR) 9 – 3 – 5 – 7 – 1 – 4, 20pts