2025 Medway Yacht Club Cruiser Spring Series - Race 3

Medway YC Cruiser Spring Series race 3 © Martin Godden

Race 3 of the Medway YC Cruiser Class Spring Series saw 11 yachts come to the start at the yacht club start line. For the first time the fleet was divided into two classes with Class 1 racing out as far as West Shoebury on the Essex shore and back for a circa 30nm race. Class 2 to Grain Edge buoy just out from Garrison Point and back for a circa 20nm race.

The wind was showing 15-20kts from the NE but in the start area it was a lot lighter. Choice on headsails varied across the fleet.

With a port bias line Class 1 saw Chips sailing down the line on starboard and tacking ahead of Countdown and Zephyros to lead the fleet away from the line. Mercury soon took over the lead. As a 42ft racing yacht she soon disappeared from sight leaving Chips, Countdown, Zephyros and Why Not to race together.

Countdown was the first to pass Chips; Chips taking a tow on their quarter wave. Chips as the smallest of the boats soon became the fourth in this group and with Toucan chasing, all wanting to get to Garrison Point before the ebb tide ended.

From the mouth of the river the route to W. Shoebury needed some planning. The thoughts that Mercury would lead the fleet was confused by seeing her heading back towards the Medway. By West Shoebury Zephyros had moved into the front tacking early for the buoy, followed by Countdown. Chips had picked up a place with Why Not taking time putting in a reef.

Medway YC Cruiser Spring Series race 3 - photo © Martin Godden

From the buoy with the wind now firmly from the north out popped spinnakers that for some would be carried all the way to the finish at MYC. Why Not pulled through the fleet and with her asymmetric spinnaker favoured the close reaching legs up river and took line honours, with Zephyros close behind.

Chips with her tall rig and not favoured to close reaching lost time taking her spinnaker down when the wind strength took over! Toucan had opted for no spinnaker coming back from Essex but in the seeming shelter of the Medway estuary the spinnaker proved a bit of a handful.

Mercury seemed to have won by a mile but it transpired she had not sailed the course and retired after logging in a finish.

Class 2 with five yachts racing. Great to see five boats on the start line, a first outing for newly named Hotspur who retired at Queenborough Spit having narrowly overhauled Petite Fleur. The race saw Gothik lead by the finish, with Freya and Petite Fleur close finishers on the water. Omega persevered completing her first race in the series.

With the different racing scenarios the results from this race for the two fleets are as below.

There are two more races 11th and 18th May to complete the Spring Series. There are a number of yachts close on points in all rating scenarios so all still to chase for both fleets and for a few more yachts still to join the exciting racing on the river.

Medway YC Cruiser Spring Series race 3 - photo © Martin Godden

Race 3 Results: