Winter Series 2026 – Race No. 2 Race Report
Club members gathered in the clubhouse at 10:00 for the race briefing ahead of the second race in the 2026 Winter Series.
The weather forecast suggested winds of 15–16 mph from the NNE/NE, with gusts reaching 23–26 mph. However, as is often the case with sailing forecasts, reality had other ideas, proving once again that weather forecasting can sometimes be more fiction than fact!
Five yachts lined up for the start, and all five got away to a cracking start, heading towards the first buoy, SPR.
*Elody* wasted no time in pulling away from the fleet, making the most of conditions that appeared ideally suited to her. Meanwhile, further back, Equus, sailing with a reef in, was battling for position with La Folie, Manyata and Blue Streak. The three boats were jostling for position as they made their way towards the rounding mark at Fairway 13 Buoy.
As the fleet rounded the mark, the boats began to spread out, with each crew settling into their own race and making the most of the available wind.
Unfortunately, as the fleet made its way back towards Tony Glaze, Manyata had a rather unfortunate disagreement with the putty! With the boat unable to continue racing, the crew made the decision to retire.
A call was made over VHF Channel 77, which was picked up by Blue Streak. After checking that everything was all right, Manyata confirmed that both boat and crew were safe and well. Although their race had come to a premature end, thankfully there was nothing more serious to report.
The return leg brought a completely different challenge.
Initially, the wind remained reasonably consistent as the remaining fleet passed Tony Glaze, Canewdon and SPR. However, as the yachts rounded 8 Knot Buoy and headed back towards Raypits, conditions began to change dramatically.
The wind veered around to the east before dropping away to a mere 2 mph, leaving crews searching for whatever breeze they could find. What had started as a lively race was rapidly turning into a test of patience, concentration and light-wind sailing skills.
With so little wind available, every puff became valuable, and keeping the boats moving was becoming increasingly difficult.
After rounding Raypits, the fleet faced the final leg back towards the club finishing line, with very little wind and a flooding tide to contend with. It was certainly a challenging finish, particularly considering the much stronger winds that had been forecast earlier in the day.
Despite the changing conditions, the crews persevered, bringing another interesting and eventful Winter Series race to a close.
Back at the Clubhouse
Following the race, everyone was able to return to the warmth of the clubhouse, where some very welcome hot food had been prepared by Sue and Barbara.
Meanwhile, Race Officer and IT technician Tim M. was busy working through the race results, ensuring that the day's performances were properly recorded.
As always, the racing was made possible not only by those taking part on the water but also by the volunteers who gave their time to organise and support the event.
A big thank you to everyone who turned out, whether racing, helping with race duties, preparing food or supporting the club in other ways.
Special thanks go to Sue and Barbara for the food, Tim M. for his work on the race results, and all those who helped make the day possible.
Another enjoyable Winter Series race completed, with plenty of variety in the conditions and a reminder that, whatever the forecast says, the River Crouch usually has the final word!
We look forward to seeing everyone for Race No. 3.
2nd Winter