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MYLOR YACHT CLUBFowey Pursuit Race
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Saturday August 27th 2005 Course 1, the shortest, had been chosen more with regard to the shipping movements than wind strength but as it turned out course 0 (option for next year) would have been better. There was a useful breeze around a patch of rain at about 09:45 - 10:00 and the boats that had started by then were able to clear the local tide and head out into the favourable channel stream. Mary Boon used that brief spell to get offshore as far as possible to find the strongest tide and was lucky to keep a breath of wind from the north. The later starters didn't move until the local tide eased but they then found enough wind to keep going. All morning Narnia was kept busy logging retirement calls in channel 77 including her own on the pretext of having a party to organise. At this stage it was announced that there would be a prize for anyone who sailed around the Dodman and spurred on by that and perhaps a chance that a new wind would spring up and get them to the finish before the 17:30 time limit six boats stuck it out. At around 14:00 the sun came out and there was a new wind from just south of east which gave a very pleasant spinnaker leg across Mevagissey Bay. However, at 16:30 the lead boat had 5 miles to go and an average speed of 3 knots with no realistic chance that something would happen to get her there in time. With her retirement broadcast the others followed suit and joined the MYC group on Pont Pill pontoon. A total of 20 club boats tied up in another port is possibly a record and the pontoons were well laden with people for the drinks party and awarding of KitKats for the Dodman prize.  Mary Boon, well ahead of the pack, labours in vain towards the finish. 
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