#halfton – The Long Inshore race of the Half Ton Classics Cup 2015 in Nieuwpoort proved to be a light airs affair requiring huge concentration and mental stamina of helms, tacticians and trimmers alike. With a 23 mile course which took the crews in a figure of eight pattern up and down the Belgian coast it presented both tide and wind challenges aplenty. The race carries a points weighting of 1.5 and cannot be discarded so a good showing was vital for those hoping to make the podium.
Overnight leader Checkmate XV, helmed by David Cullen, got a great start at the committee boat end and was looking very good up the first beat until they got involved on the losing side of a port/starboard incident and were forced to take a penalty.
The regatta concludes Frida and with the forecast indicating light winds in the morning that are likely to die completely by early afternoon, the race committee has already brought forward the start of racing from 11.00 to 10.00 to give them the best possible chance of completing two further races to decide the championship.
Top five after 8 races:
1. Checkmate XV, IRL 2016 David Cullen Howth Yacht Club, IRL, 13.1 points
2. Miss Whiplash, Paul Pullen RCYC, GBR, 18.1
3. Per Elisa, R Robby Tregear, GBR, 23.5
4. Trastada, Roddy Angus / Dan Challis Fairlie Yacht Club, GBR, 32.7
5. Harmony, Jonny Swan Howth Yacht Club, IRL, 34.7
Download full results below
