Photos: LPB Aerial Photography.    Lots more to be available at http://www.lpbaerial.com/ by 24 September.

The prospects for any wind didn't look great on Saturday morning for the combined RS800 Grand Prix, Merlin Rocket Silver Tiller and Bart's Bash race at Lymington Town Sailing Club, but thankfully it got better through the weekend.

After waiting for two and a half hours in mostly sub-4 knot drifting conditions, including a general recall, the 800s finally got away for their first race in a light easterly with the flood tide helping.  Ex-49ers Matt Humphreys and Amy Cartwright played the shifts right to cross in front of the fleet on the first beat but local sailors Luke and Emma McEwen rode the tide offshore to sneak ahead of them and into the lead.  Matt & Amy then got over-friendly with the leeward mark, causing a pile-up that let Luke and Emma away into a big lead, chased by Andy and Allyson Jeffries.  On the last run the wind died completely, compacting the race right up against the tide.  Any one of five boats could have won but it was Dave and Louise Steed who spotted the new northerly wind to take the gun.  Andy and Allyson took a courteous turn for bumping Luke and Emma, letting Matt and Amy through to third.

The northerly solidified for the second race, so race officer Richard Russell diplomatically gave the fleet a four-lapper to make up for all the waiting.  Dave and Louise blasted off to a substantial lead, only to lose it all and drop back to 5th by heading out into the tide on the 3rd run, leaving Luke and Emma to take advantage.  Several boats then tried to finish a lap early, leaving Andy and Allyson to take second ahead of James Date and Dan Allin.

At 6pm Hugh Shone and Hannah Tatterstall won the hard-fought battle home, just pipping James and Dan to the slipway, where the legendary LTSC shore team were waiting with trolleys in the water.  After lots of beers and a big fish & chips / pasta supper there was a bit of dancing to Derek's guitar and a few sore heads in the making.

The first race on Sunday was a joint start for the 800s and Merlins for Bart's Bash, not counting towards the series scores.  The sun came out smiling for the day and the breeze was up properly to a good force 4, bringing with it a steep Solent chop, not to mention the combined wakes of 100s of other yachts and dinghies doing Bart's Bash.  With a crowded and heavily port-biased line and a ripping ebb it was hard to get off the start, with several boats taking two or three attempts to cross at the pin.  European Champions Tim Saxton and Sam Littlejohn showed the way, banging hard inshore out of the tide with pace the rest could only admire.  The race was looking sewn up until a big left shift came in at the leeward mark, letting Luke and Emma through to first, but Tim and Sam showed their pedigree by sailing a blinding run right around the outside to retake the lead in time for the shortened finish.

Race three of the series was a battle with the Merlins.  With a long beat against the tide, the 800s quickly ate up the Merlins' 5 minute head start and converged together at the windward mark.  The smart money was on staying offshore, right out of the melee, as Andy and Allyson demonstrated with a big lead over the inshore pack.  Hugh and Hannah chased hard for second, with James and Dan in third.

The fourth race started like a re-run of the Bart's Bash race but in flatter water, with Tim and Sam leading Luke and Emma, but in the shifty conditions Andy and Allyson overtook both, with Matt and Amy taking another third.   These two were now looking pretty hot for the series.

In the final race Matt and Amy were really getting into their stride, holding the lead to the finish after 2 laps, and finishing with the kite ragging to miss the committee boat's taut anchor chain by a couple of feet.  Their win was enough to clinch 2nd overall in the event.  Tim and Sam took second in the race, with Andy and Allyson rounding off a very consistent series in tricky conditions with 3rd, enough to win overall by 6 points.

At the prizegiving the winning Merlin sailors gave the visitors' speech, dedicating the prizes to the memory of Andrew "Bart" Simpson.

Luke McEwen