SAILING clubs across the Isle of Wight continued their restricted summer seasons with some exciting racing.

                                        BEMBRIDGE SAILING CLUB

Last year, a number of the club's Redwing members travelled to Poole to race in the Poole Redwings, so thye reverse happened recently when five members from Poole Sailing Club came to race in a Bembridge Redwings event. 

Conditions were almost perfect, with a F3 to F4 breeze. 

With each visitor helming one of the Redwings, it was decided to try to get five races in over two days — three on the Saturday and two on Sunday — with helms swapping over after each race on the first day.

Although the first race on day two was a bit of a non-event, as the breeze dropped off completely, the other four races were completed in almost perfect conditions.

Racing on both days was tight, with the Poole team enjoying their visit.

Five One-Designs, meanwhile, also had three close races on the first day, following the same courses as the Redwings.

Each race had a different winner, with Charles Abel-Smith (No.7) chalking up the best score with a first, second and third to his name.

On day two, they just had one race, won by Peter Summerhayes (No.8), with Simon Allocca a close second.

                                       YARMOUTH SAILING CLUB

RACING on September 6, seven Scows and a Laser Pico started in a light 5-10 knot breeze from Mill Creek.

Derek Morris ran out of line length and tacked to port, which forced Niall Wallace to
tack.

Morris collected a 720, while Graeme Bowen cleared the tangle nicely.

There followed a tacking duel between Wallace and Bowen to the upwind D mark, though both had to wriggle of the mud on one occasion.

Wallace made the mark first and seemed clear, but half-way to the second upwind B mark, he seemed to drag his plate, which allowed Bowen through and for Rob Selby and Roger P-E close up substantially.

Downwind to the last E mark, Roger P-E was on Wallace's tail, but at the line, it was Bowen winning it.

Amazingly, the time corrected honours went to Joy Mowles in a Laser Pico, who slipped under the radar of Scows racers.

Yarmouth also hosted the RYA's Getting Kids Racing Initiative that day — a programme designed to encourage and teach basic race skills to youngsters, which was run by Martin Palmer.

Two races were held, with starts in Mill Creek and which saw seven boats with nine children participate.

The race conditions saw close tacking, with wicked wind shifts and muddy river banks to contend with — obstacles that helped improve their sailing skills in Teras, Quests and Picos.

On Saturday, conditions were perfect for racing, with sunshine and 12-15 knots of breeze
for the nine Scows that started.

Wallace pulled clear all the way up the beat to windward B mark.

At the D gybe mark, Bruce Mayo gained an overlap to get through and carried Bowen with him, but from the E mark, a tacking duel ensued up Mill Creek to D mark.

A quirk in the course required looping of D mark, which resulted in Roger P-E
and Chris Parslow getting through and following Mayo and Bowen all the way upwind to the B mark.

Going back downwind to the A mark to finish, distances between the boats narrowed, with Bowen beating Mayo.

Also sailing were five juniors under the Get Juniors Racing programme, mentored by Palmer.

The juniors had two short races to hone start and upwind and downwind rounding skills to improve confidence and enable them to join the main race fleets.

The winner was Ollie Mayo, with Catherine Brading-Palmer second and sister, Laura Brading-Palmer third.

On Sunday, in a light 7-knot breeze, 12 Scows and five Juniors raced.

In the Junior 2 race series, the Brading-Palmer sisters shared the win.

Meanwhile, the Scows race saw Mayo senior get the best start and was hotly pursued by Bowen to the upwind B mark — and for the rest of the race.

Despite relentless pressure from Bowen, Mayo remained calm until 100m from the finish when, staying close to the west bank to prevent Bowen creeping through and taking his  wind, he ran aground, to allow Bowen through.

The win was only by a metre though, with Wallace keeping clear of Mayo's dogfight with Bowen, hoping to capitalise.